The Difference One Life Makes
by Irish-Brigid
Summary: If one person hadn't died, how would things have gone? Not as AU as you might think. Cloti, Zerith, though romance is light because I stink at it. Mysteries left unsolved may be revealed! Rated for... you've played the game, right?
1. Lucky Break

*As far as I've been able to tell, there isn't anything in the actual canon of FFVII that says that SOLDIERs have enhanced senses, such as sight and hearing, or accelerated healing. It does seem to be the general assumption of fanon, however, and it does make a certain amount of sense. Fast healing would certainly help with all the fighting they do. As for vision, an over-clocked visual system would be a very handy addition to the demonstrated enhanced speed SOLDIERs get. I generally don't like to take hints from fanon, but in this case I may make an understated exception. But heaven help me if I start to use terms like mako-vision...*

The Difference One Life Makes

**Chapter One**

"Hmm... No matter what I do, I need some money first."

Zack stopped his fidgetting for a moment to contemplate his options. Only a moment.

He grinned at Cloud whose head lolled back and forth next to Zack. "Hey, wanna start a business? Now what could we do? Hey, Cloud. Think there's anything I'd be good at?"

No answer, of course. Zack really didn't expect one at this point. Cloud seemed to shift slightly, but that might have been just the movement of the truck.

"Hey, old guy!" he called to the middle-aged farmer who'd been kind enough to give them a lift. "What do you think I'd be good at?"

"What're you yappin' about? You're still young, ain't ya?" came the terse yet somewhat jovial reply. "Young folks should try everything! You gotta pay your dues while you're young. Go out and look for what you really want."

_They've been paid a few times over, old man,_ Zack thought. Especially by Cloud. The younger man unconscious at his side couldn't possibly owe anyone anything by now.

Despite those somber thoughts, Zack chuckled. "Try everything... That's easy for him to say." He stared at the sky for a while. If the road wasn't so bumpy he'd probably get up and do squats. Then an idea. Zack slapped his right fist down into his left palm. "Hey! I got more brains and skill than most other guys! That settles it!"

Before he could say what was settled, a loud retort like a gunshot sent him leaping over Cloud like a barrier spell.

_ShinRa? When we're out in the open like this? Stupid, Zack! Stupid!_

A second retort and a lurch from the truck told Zack what was really the matter. The driver's voice confirmed it.

"Engine's broke down." The hood slammed down over a couple hundred pounds of useless metal. "Sorry, kid, but this old rust bucket's just that right now. I'll radio in a mechanic but it'll take a few hours."

Zack shrugged. "Hey, you got us this far, I think we can manage from here."

The man looked down at the unconscious young man at Zack's side. "You sure about that? These parts can get pretty dangerous."

Zack shifted his grip on Cloud as he headed for the cliffs. "I know." Ignoring the calls of warning, Zack trudged on into the wastelands. That engine backfire had been a real wake up call. This close to Midgar and he was hitching a ride? Stupid, really stupid.

"No sweat," he reasured the comatose body he dragged alongside him. Whether Cloud could actually hear him or not was moot at this point. Talking was the only thing keeping Zack sane. "We've done lots of walking already, what's a couple more days? Besides, we'll need the exercise. I came up with this great plan. I'm going to be a mercenary. I'll do any job if it pays. Big jobs, little jobs, boring jobs, I'll be rich!" Zack laughed. "So what are you going to do?"

The expected silence.

"Hey, you know I wouldn't do that to you. We're friends, right, Cloud?"

Still nothing. Zack sighed and kept walking. The sun beat down on his black hair and black clothes, the extra activity only made it worse. Sweat ran down his face, arms, and everything else.

"Forget what I said about 'no sweat.' Maybe we should find some shelter before our brains bake."

Easier said than done. Nothing grew in the wasteland. At least nothing healthy. Zack remembered wondering about the odd desert when he first came to Midgar, but hadn't given it much thought since. Now...

_ShinRa is sucking the life out of the planet._ Zack had dismissed the self-proclaimed student of planet life at the time, but the words came to haunt him now. _And I helped._

Zack shook his head. That line of thought wouldn't get him anywhere except maybe a mad house. _I did what I thought was right at the time. So it all turned out to be a pack of lies. That's on ShinRa's head, not mine._

Day slowly turned to night and Zack began to regret leaving the truck behind.

A couple hours later he stopped regretting.

"Looks like following the road is out," Zack said as he returned to where he left Cloud. Rain soaked their clothes and made Cloud's spiky hair droop. "The area just ahead is crawling with infantry. You want to see if there are any old friends there?"

Even if he were conscious, Cloud probably wouldn't have answered. Zack got the impression that the young grunt didn't get along very well with his team mates. Or maybe it was the other way around, though he didn't understand why. What wasn't there to like about Cloud?

"Anyway, it's probably not a good idea to stick around. I know you want to rest but we'll just have to keep moving." _And I don't want to find out if SOLDIERs can catch pnemonia._

Zack knelt to hoist Cloud to his feet. Was he imagining things, or did Cloud actually say something?

"Zack."

He wasn't imagining things.

"Cloud? Cloud, you in there?" Zack completely forgot about moving, standing, anything other than holding Cloud by the shoulders and trying to catch some hint of life in his face.

Eyes that had been a natural blue but were now laced with glowing mako widened.

"Zack."

Zack only had a second to process the muffled fear in that word. That second ended with the distictive sound of a cocked firearm.

"Shi-" He scooped up Cloud and ran, bullets knicking the soles of his boots and bounced off his sword.

"Zack."

A bullet wizzed passed his ear and he adjusted his grip on Cloud so as little of the smaller man was visible as possible.

Much smaller man. Had Cloud always been this small?

Wiz. Wiz.

No time to think, just run.

Or not.

Zack skidded to the edge of a cliff. How far down it went he couldn't be sure in the dim light. On the other hand there were still guns aimed at them and some of those shots had gotten close enough to sting.

It wasn't like this was the first time he'd jumped off a cliff to escape persuit.

"Hang on!" To Zack's relief and astonishment Cloud actually did grab a small handful of shirt.

"Hang on," Cloud repeated.

What little of the landscape he could actually see flew by in a blur. Then he hit a slope. A steep slope. Half sliding, half rolling, he tried to maintain his grip on Cloud while not losing too much speed. He could still hear, and occasionally feel, the bullets flying.

Once on more stable, and horizontal, ground he started running again. He willed his legs to move faster. A dark crack in the earth snaked toward him from the horizon.

A long dead river. Perfect. He jumped in and flattened under an overhang, out of sight and out of the rain. Deep breaths. Calm. Focus. Try not to make a lot of noise.

All he could hear was his own breathing and the wind.

"It hurts."

Tears started to well up in Zack's eyes. Was Cloud remembering the torture they'd been through? He looked down and realized he was squeezing rather tight.

"Oh, sorry." Zack set Cloud down.

"Sorry."

Zack thought it was another echo, but Cloud's next words hinted at something else.

"Sorry ... Tifa."

What was he supposed to say? He wanted to appologize to Tifa, too.

"Sorry... I couldn't ... the promise..."

Zack fidgeted somewhat. This was probably something he wasn't supposed to hear.

"Promise ... come help if in a pinch."

_So that was it._ Zack couldn't help but remember how Cloud refused to show his face in his home town, or how Tifa kept asking about "a blond SOLDIER." This just added the last piece. He'd promised to join SOLDIER and come rescue her whenever she needed him. Just the kind of promise a kid would make to his crush. And just the kind of promise Cloud would take too seriously.

"Hey, you did come for her. You did your best. A whole lot better than I did."

"Sorry..."

This was getting depressing.

"I think we're probably a day outside of Midgar. Maybe less after that run. Bet I set a new record. Hey, once we get to the slums we'll find a place to stay, some good food, er, goodish food, and some clean clothes. Can't really wander around Midgar in SOLDIER uniforms."

Cloud's head tipped to one side, the rest of him followed, thudding against Zack's chest. Either Cloud had fallen back into a mako-induced stupor or he was asleep. Really asleep for the first time in years. Zack hoped it was the latter.

"Good idea. We should rest up before tomorrow." _Aerith. I'm coming._

_In game Cloud recovers fairly quickly once he's able to actually move. Well, then he has a relapse and ends up with a different personality and scrambled memories, but yeah. Here I'm taking Cloud's recovery a bit more slowly, because I figured it was the shock of Zack's death that triggered the first recovery and subsequent relapse. Wonder if I should rename this fanfic "The Difference a Broken Engine Makes." :P_


	2. Adjustment Period

*I seem to have neglected to add a disclaimer to the first chapter. So: I don't own this stuff. Duh. Do I really need to say this?*

**Chapter Two - Adjustment Period**

The first thing that filtered into his growing awareness was that the ground was lumpy and there was a rock in his left shoulder blade. The second was that Cloud wasn't next to him.

Zack jerked awake, then relaxed. Cloud was standing two feet way, staring at the now clear sky. Even if his eyes didn't quite focus, it eased Zack's heart to know that his friend could at least stand on his own.

What Cloud did next made Zack want to jump up and dance.

"I'm hungry."

"Of course, you're hungry! You haven't eaten anything in days." Mainly because it had gotten too hard to force even liquids down his throat with the truck bouncing every time Zack managed to find Cloud's mouth.

Zack opened his duffle and tossed Cloud a slice of hard bread. To his immense relief Cloud caught it and started chewing. "You'll want some water after that," Zack said, pulling out a canteen. "Hey, you should sit while having breakfast." As much as seeing Cloud stand pleased him, that spiky blond head made too obvious a target.

"Zack."

"Hrm?"

"Sorry."

_Not this again._ "Nothing to appologize for. If it weren't for you I wouldn't be breathing right now." _And if I hadn't failed to kill Sephiroth you wouldn't be suffering from mako addiction._

Cloud swallowed and contemplated the rest of his bread for what seemed like eternity. Eternity was apparently the time it took for Zack to finish another mouthful.

"Thank you."

"We're friends. No thanks necessary."

"Yeah. Friends."

Still a little echoing, but at least he could hold an actual conversation.

"Here. Drink up then we're back on the road, er, dry river bed." Zack handed the canteen to Cloud and waited for him to finish before taking a couple generous gulps himself.

Everything back in the duffle, Zack stood up, and very nearly sat back down again.

Just how far _had_ he run last night?

Looming out of the lifeless earth not five miles from them was Midgar. They had slept quite literally in its shadow.

Zack grinned. It was almost too easy.

Definitely too easy. Two men in SOLDIER uniforms just waltzed right into the Sector 5 slums and not so much as a flicker of security. Granted, this was the slums, but they had to have some idea which way he'd been heading.

_Unless they think no one would be crazy enough to actually break into Midgar._ Zack chuckled. Definitely crazy.

"Ah, what first," Zack said to a quiet, but at least semi-responsive Cloud. "I'd like to see Aerith right away but... AH!"

Zack slapped his forehead. The Turks were watching Aerith. The Turks were after him. Cissnei may have let him go twice, but he couldn't count on being that lucky a third time.

"Aerith?" Cloud turned his head slightly to look at Zack. His eyes focused a bit better but there was still something wrong with them.

_Could be the mako glow._ Zack rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, she's a friend of mine. But I'm sure she'll understand if I wait a bit." He clapped his hands together. "First let's find some different clothes and a place to stay."

Cloud looked down at his clothing as if noticing it for the first time. Probably was the first time, given the way his eyes widened.

"SOLDIER."

"Yeah. Well, you got the treatments (_and then some_) so why not wear the uniform? But not here. We'll stick out too much."

Like a guy with a giant sword on his back wouldn't stand out.

Cloud looked up at Zack, his fists holding onto the fabric of his shirt. There was something pathetic about that, like a little kid whose favorite toy had gotten lost.

Of course. Cloud had wanted to be in SOLDIER for years. Now he was finally in the uniform, even if only because it was all Zack could find, and Zack just told him he had to give it up.

Another rub of the neck and sigh later, Zack determined he had to give in a little. "You can keep the shirt, but we definitely have to do something about the belt, and the pants." The baggy pants were designed with someone closer to Zack's height in mind, anyway.

Speaking of height, now that they could stand next to each other Zack noticed that the top of Cloud's head came up to just below his eyes. So Cloud got taller. Then why couldn't Zack shake the feeling that Cloud was too small? Zack looked down at himself. He didn't look any different, though he did notice that his uniform felt a little tight in spots. Had he grown, too? It made sense, four years had passed from the Nibelheim incident to their escape and then almost another year passed since then. He hadn't really stopped to think about it before, what with all the fleeing for their lives and stopping Genesis from ... well, whatever it was he did.

"Zack?"

Enough introspection. "Right. Well, the Sector 5 market didn't have a clothing store last I checked _(and it's too close to Aerith)_ and there's no way I'm taking you into Wall Market. So Sector 7 it is."

Sector 4 was closer, but he'd never actually been there, and definitely didn't know how to get there.

Zack glanced behind him to make sure Cloud was following. He looked for all the world like a lost puppy. A thought that naturally reminded Zack of Angeal.

"I really hope I'm doing the right thing."

_Just how did Cloud manage to wander into Midgar with that uniform and that sword and not attract attention of the ShinRa variety? If the almost complete lack of proper security is any indication, ShinRa was on its way down the tubes, Meteor or no Meteor. _

_As for the height thing, Zack's height given in the original Japanese was 185 cm, or just over 6'. (6' 0.8346" to be exact.) Why the English translation had him at 6'3" I have no idea. Anyway, Cloud's height, also converted from centimeters, comes out to 5'8" (actually 5'8.1102", but close enough). That means Cloud is roughly five inches shorter than Zack, so Cloud would come up a little passed Zack's nose. Which, come to think of it, he does in Advent Children. Whatdoyaknow. And people have said that he got a height upgrade. Sheesh. Anyway, Cloud is noticeably shorter than that in comparison to Zack during Crisis Core. And Zack is definitely shorter than Sephiroth even though their official heights are supposed to be the same. (I think. I haven't been able to find Sephiroth's height in centimeters to be sure, just his feet and inches height according to the official English translation.) So I'm making the assumption that Cloud and Zack grew during their time as lab specimens. Makes sense, don't you think? They were both still teenagers at the time and men can keep growing into their early twenties. And this is turning into a huge Author Note._


	3. Long Time, No See

**Chapter Three - Long Time, No See**

Zack had definitely grown. Or clothing sizes had changed in the last five years, which wasn't beyond the realm of possibility. Either way, Zack was finding clothes that fit a little more challenging than usual. Cloud had the opposite problem. He'd grown, too, if their relative heights was any indication. Still, just about everything was too big. Zack found himself extremely grateful that he'd told Cloud he could keep the SOLDIER shirt. Maybe he should do the same.

After the fifth pair of pants each, Zack started to consider just walking around in his boxers. No, if nothing else he'd like to be at least semi presentable when he met Aerith.

Zack sighed and picked up his pants. His ShinRa issue handset fell out of his pocket onto the bench.

Duh.

Wonder if the Turks had Aerith's phone bugged?

Could cellphones be bugged?

He pressed the familiar speed dial button and waited three rings. A voice very much older than Aerith's picked up.

"Hello?"

_Not her mom!_

"Uh, hi. Is Aerith home?"

"... Who is this?"

As if her tone didn't tell him that she knew, or at least suspected.

"Er. An old friend who's had trouble keeping in touch."

An even longer pause and Zack started to wonder if she was going to hang up.

"Hang on. I'll get her."

Zack sighed with relief, right before he realized he was still just wearing boxers. Trying to jump into his pants and keep the phone to his ear was not as easy as one would expect from someone who didn't think twice about doing back flips or jumping onto platforms several yards above his head.

"Hello?"

It was a choice between dropping the handset or dropping his pants. At least she couldn't see him. He hoped.

"Hi." The attempted nonchalance was marred by the knot he'd twisted himself into trying to get his legs through different holes.

"Zack? ZACK?"

Ouch.

"Yeah. Long ti-"

"Where were you? Did you get my letters? Why didn't you call?"

Was she crying? Oh no.

"Whoa, whoa, one question at a time." With his pants finally on he hoped he sounded casual. "I, uh, got the last letter. Sorry I couldn't call or anything."

"Why?" Her voice cracked.

He really should have rehearsed this. Not that it'd help much. "I, um." Wait, hadn't he been declared dead? "Do you read the newspaper?"

"What does that have to do with this?"

There really was no delicate way of saying this. "ShinRa had me declared dead."

"WHAT?"

Zack had to hold the phone away from his ear to prevent serious damage to his brain. By the time he could hear again she had continued. Still high pitched but thankfully quieter.

"What happened? What did you do? When did this happen? Why would they do such a thing?"

"Uh, it's kind of hard to explain on the phone." He could just see the glares he'd be getting later from Mrs. Gainsborough. "Is there some place we can meet? Where the Turks won't see us?"

Very long pause. Zack hoped against hope that meant she was seriously thinking about places they could meet.

"You're in Midgar?"

"Yeah."

He heard sniffing on the other end of the phone.

"The gate outside the Sector 5 market," she said.

That close? Either the Turks were slipping or they were more concerned with his escape.

"I'll be there, give me half an hour."

"I'll be waiting."

He promised himself that he wouldn't let her wait long. Not again.

Replacing the too-tight-in-a-bad-place pants, a thought struck him.

His handset was ShinRa issue.

It had never occurred to him before, but now it seemed all too likely that ShinRa could track the handsets they gave to SOLDIERs. That could explain all the ambushes he'd walked into. For a second he considered crushing the thing and tossing it somewhere. No, he couldn't do that. At least not until he got some information off it first.

"Zack."

He turned around to see Cloud holding up his sixth pair of pants, some faded used jeans. These at least were the right length. The waist, however, was so loose that it threatened to fall down around his ankles.

No way Cloud had been that skinny five years ago. Grunts weren't built like SOLDIERs, but they couldn't be twigs, either.

"Hmm. Not bad. We get you eating and moving again and they'll fit just fine. Meanwhile..." Zack rummaged through a bin until he found a simple (and, more to the point, cheap) belt. "You're definitely going to need one of these."

Zack paid for the clothes, he'd finally settled on not-stretchy-anymore sweatpants, and got permission to use a pen and piece of scrap paper. First hastily writing down some vital contact information (Aerith, Kunsel, his parents) he and Cloud bolted from the shop. The phone ended up in several piles of trash along the way.

One such pile of trash was across from a bar. Seventh Heaven, for some reason the name seemed familiar but Zack couldn't place it. Oh well. More important things, like meeting Aerith.

Zack stopped short at the playground. He was going to see Aerith for the first time in almost five years. Not the sort of meeting you bring company too. Then again, he wasn't sure he felt safe leaving Cloud alone in an inn. Zack looked down at Cloud, his friend was still standing, even if he was listing slightly to one side. He shook his head. Aerith would understand.

"Zack." Aerith ran up to him but stopped just a few feet away. The look on her face said that she wasn't sure he'd really come. He felt hurt even if her mild distrust was earned. Her next look, and more importantly the direction of her look, said that she noticed Cloud.

Zack pushed Cloud forward slightly. "Aerith, I'd like you to meet Cloud. Cloud, this is Aerith."

Aerith nodded to Cloud. "Pleased to meet you." She smiled up at Zack. "He's cute, where did you get him?"

He wasn't entirely sure how to take that. "Cloud and I go way back. Saved each other's lives a few times, right, Cloud?"

Cloud stared at Aerith's boots. A barely heard mumble seemed to indicate a yes.

Aerith's smile faded. "What happened?"

Zack sighed and motioned toward a relatively clean crate. "This could take a while."

He didn't want to go into too much detail, both for Aerith's sake and Cloud's, but he tried to provide the basics. A seemingly routine mission gone wrong when Sephiroth snapped and destroyed the village, details not given. Zack tried to stop Sephiroth and failed. Cloud stepped in to save the day, only for both of them to end up prisoners for four years. Details of their confinement were left unspoken, though he did stress that he didn't know how long it had been until he got her letter. Seeing the look on Aerith's face, he figured she didn't need details.

"Oh, Zack. I'm sorry."

What was it with people apologizing to him today?

"Aw, come on, it's not your fault. I certainly wouldn't blame you for being mad at me for not calling, or writing, or something."

"That's not it. I'm sorry that I didn't know. That there wasn't anything I could do to help."

"That's nothing to feel sorry for," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. Didn't stop him half the time, and it definitely didn't stop Cloud.

"Was Cloud in SOLDIER, too?"

He had left that little detail out.

"No."

"But his eyes..."

"He, um, got exposed to mako during our imprisonment. He's still recovering from mako addiction."

He could tell that Aerith knew he was hiding something. Thankfully, she didn't press the issue. What she did do surprised him.

"Come with me." She got up and headed for the Sector 5 market.

She wasn't thinking of taking him home, was she? She did get that they were wanted fugitives, right? Zack trusted her, but there were times when he wondered what she thought she was doing. Even so, without a word, he followed her, Cloud trailing behind.

Aerith stopped in front of a large pipe. "The man inside is sick."

"Uh, and?"

"I think you should see."

Zack shrugged and ducked into the pipe. Inside someone had tried to make a home of the place. The blocked off back of the pipe was covered with a line of laundry and an ancient TV set. One curved wall sported a shelf with various pieces of cast-off treasure lining it. Most of the space was taken up by a lumpy mattress and the man wobbling on top of it. A tattoo of the number two stood out on his arm.

The look in the man's eyes was all too familiar.

Aerith looked in passed Zack's elbow. "Can you help him?"

Zack shook his head. "I'm no doctor. The only reason I've been able to do anything for Cloud is because I know him. I can help him remember some things." Under his breath he added, "Cloud did most of the work, anyway."

"Of course."

Zack backed out of the pipe, trying to look cheerful. "He's still alive, that's a good sign. Maybe he'll recover on his own. But what about you? I haven't seen you in five years, either, you know."

Aerith giggled. "I've been selling flowers. People really like them. Though I had to start using a basket since the wagon broke."

"Yeah. Shortly before everything fell apart I got an email from Kunsel about that. You still want me to fix it?"

"Isn't coming to the church dangerous? What about the Turks?"

"Good point. Are there any ways into the church that the Turks don't know about?"

Aerith laughed again. "You mean besides the roof?"

"Yeah. Definitely besides that." Zack smiled at the memory. Of all the rotten things that had happened that day, meeting Aerith had made it all worth while.

His smile faded. "Where's Cloud?"

Aerith spun around. "He was right here!"

"He's not now." Zack looked up and down the street. Should have put him in an inn and locked the door. Maybe put a leash on him. Something.

Aerith put a hand on Zack's arm, hoping her touch might ease some of the tension. "We'll find him."

They searched every shop and dark ally in the market. They even broke into a couple houses. Actually, Zack did most of the breaking. For which he profusely apologized for afterward, partially at Aerith's goading.

"He's not here." This could not be happening. He finally managed to save Cloud only to lose him? And in such a way?

Aerith shook her head. "He didn't leave the market, someone would have seen him."

"Except he's not in the market. So where did he go?"

"OH!" Aerith covered her mouth with her hands. "Zack, stay here, I think I know where he went."

Zack was about to protest that Cloud was his friend and he should look, but then he saw where she was headed. Yeah. Probably a bad idea for him to go to her house. For many reasons.

* * *

_And Zack is reunited with Aerith! Yay! I always kinda wondered about that guy in the tube. Okay, yeah, obviously he was one of the Sephiroth copies, but why did Aerith bring Cloud to him? For that matter, weren't all the copies from Nibelheim? Why didn't Cloud recognize the guy? The world may never know._


	4. Never Give Up

**Chapter Four - Never Give Up**

Aerith walked up the dirt path to her house. Should she check inside first or try the garden? The garden would be quicker. She climbed the makeshift stairs up to the second level and stopped. Either a chocobo had wandered in to take a nap or she'd finally found him.

"Cloud?"

Cloud lifted his head from where he'd been resting it on his knees. "I'm Cloud." The statement almost sounded like a question.

Mako addiction must be horrible. Aerith forced a smile and held out her hand. "Zack's waiting for you."

Cloud looked at her, then at the ground by his feet. "Waiting. Where?"

"In the market. Please come, Cloud."

Cloud buried his face in his arms. "No."

That denial sent Aerith jumping back. "Why not?"

"I failed. I don't deserve..." Cloud's shoulders shook and Aerith realized he was crying.

She reached out and gently hugged the back of his head. "You only fail if you give up. And from what Zack said I don't think you have. You haven't, have you?"

"I don't know."

"Then you haven't. If you're in doubt then you haven't given up. And you haven't failed. You just aren't succeeding, either."

She couldn't help but wonder how old Cloud was. If he was part of the team sent on the mission five years ago then he had to be at least 19 now. He seemed so much younger than that. Four years of his life had been stolen. Just like they had been stolen from Zack.

Aerith vowed that she'd find a way to make up those years for them.

Zack was doing squats by one of the merchant stalls when Aerith came back with Cloud in tow.

"Cloud!" Zack ran over and hugged his friend, then backed off when he realized he might squash the smaller man. "Don't do that again, okay? Man, you had me worried."

"Sorry."

Zack ran a hand down his face. "Enough with the apologizing already. Seems like every other word out of your mouth is 'sorry.'"

"I..."

_If he says sorry one more time..._

"I won't give up."

Zack blinked. "Say what?"

"I won't give up. We're starting a business. I won't be a failure."

Zack looked at Cloud then Aerith. "What did you do?"

Aerith smiled coyly and leaned forward. "Not much."

He suddenly realized she was wearing pink, and that her... not going there.

Zack smiled, embarrassed, flattered, but mostly just flirty. "I thought you said wearing pink when we met was silly."

"I also said that a date as repayment was silly."

Zack blushed. He had to remember they had an audience.

"What kind of business are you starting?" Aerith said.

Surprisingly, Cloud answered before Zack could. "We're mercenaries. We do any job if it pays. Big jobs, little jobs, boring jobs."

He heard all that. At least now Zack didn't feel quite so silly talking to a near lifeless body for almost nine months.

"Oh, jack of all trades." Aerith's eyes sparkled with mischief. Zack loved, and feared, that look.

Zack cleared his throat. "What do you have in mind?"

Aerith tapped the side of her jaw with a delicate finger. "I seem to recall the materia shop owner was rather pleased the last time you worked for him."

Doing deliveries for local shops wasn't exactly what Zack had in mind when he told Cloud they'd be mercenaries. At least Cloud seemed to be enjoying himself. Heck, he seemed to come a little more alive everyday.

Alive and surprisingly strong. The first day they worked for the grocery Zack tried to help Cloud with a crate he thought was too big for those skinny arms. Instead, Cloud lifted the crate right out of Zack's hands. Almost as if showing off, Cloud balanced the crate on one shoulder while he bent to pick up a sack of potatoes.

Zack would've sworn Cloud was showing off if he hadn't been so casual about it.

Aerith brought them lunch most days. She explained that it was because she wanted to make sure Cloud was properly fed. Zack teased her that she really wanted to see him. She didn't deny it.

The one downside of those visits was the way Cloud would sometimes get a strange wistful look in his eyes. Zack could only guess that he was probably thinking about Tifa. There was no way Tifa was still alive. Then again, she was still alive when Cloud fought Sephiroth. And she wasn't in the lab with them that he could remember. So had ShinRa's clean-up crew just left her to bleed to death where she lay? Was she already dead when they arrived? Or, by some miracle, had she managed to survive and escape?

All Zack wanted at that point was for Cloud to be happy. Okay, he also wanted to be with Aerith without having to duck around her Turk shadows. He felt horrible that the priority order shifted depending on who he was looking at.

Zack and Aerith sat down to enjoy their lunch. Cloud finished his fast and insisted on getting back to work. This time unloading some salvaged armor and accessories.

Aerith leaned against Zack's shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"Not much." He bit into his sandwich.

"Liar."

Zack sighed. "It's just that, I think seeing us together makes Cloud uncomfortable."

"Oh? Does he have a crush on me?" She giggled.

"No." Zack couldn't help but smile. Kid didn't know what he was missing. "There's already a girl he likes."

"And?"

"She's... probably dead."

"Oh." The playfulness disappeared from her voice. "Was it... that time?"

"Yeah."

Aerith sighed and sank further against Zack's side. "I wonder sometimes who had it worse. You or Cloud."

"Cloud," Zack's answer came right away. At Aerith's look Zack smiled. "I have you."

The good news about the visits, besides the warm fuzzies Zack got, was how motivated Cloud was to work harder afterward. After just a few weeks he didn't look half as scrawny as when Zack dragged him across the wastelands. He even started developing some muscle tone so lifting some of the crates wasn't quite as shocking to other people.

When they weren't working, and when Zack wasn't talking to Aerith on his 'new' cellphone, the two friends searched the slum shops for a weapon Cloud could use. Zack still expected to get a more exciting job at some point.

Thing was, Cloud really wanted a sword. Swords were almost as scarce as sunlight under the plate, slum shops didn't carry many. Even fewer were worth the metal it took to make them. After catching Cloud try to practice with the Buster sword Zack came to the conclusion that he'd probably break most of the ones that were halfway decent.

After Cloud managed to lodge the blade in the ceiling, Zack also concluded they'd have to find a house with a little more head room.

"Oh come on, Cloud, it's a perfectly good rifle. I think."

They were in the weapon shop in Sector 7. Cloud shook his head again at the decade-plus old ShinRa issue rifle.

"Okay, fine." Zack put the gun back on the stand. "I don't get it, though. You're a great shot. Remember that griffon you took down at Modeoheim? You know, the one that was going to eat me?"

Cloud nodded. "I want to fight like you."

Oh boy. Zack rubbed the back of his neck. He'd been doing that a lot lately, and he wondered idly if he'd end up with some weird bald spot there.

"Let's take that one step at a time. Um. How about this, we get you a gun or rifle or whatever and a sword you can use as back up until you get used to using one."

Cloud thought for a moment, then nodded. Finally.

"Right, so we'll be taking this." Zack picked the old rifle up again. "sound good?"

"Sure."

Zack really hoped Cloud would get around to showing a bit more emotion soon. Smiling would be a good start.

Looked like he'd have to settle for stunned.

They were just passing the Seventh Heaven bar (name still sounded way too familiar) when Cloud dropped his bag of supplies.

"Hey, Cloud, what gi-" Zack followed Cloud's gaze and landed on a girl walking toward them from what passed as a residential area.

Not just any girl, either. A drop dead gorgeous girl wearing not darn much. An all too familiar girl.

Zack grinned from ear to ear. "Cloud, you are one lucky guy."

The girl stopped dead. "Cloud?" She took another step. "Cloud, is it you?"

Zack could hear Cloud swallow. "Yes."

She ran forward but stopped just outside of arms' reach. She held her hands up, trembling, as if afraid that if she touched him he'd disappear.

And Zack realized that she didn't see him, or much of anything else besides Cloud. Stepping into the shadow of Seventh Heaven's porch, Zack hoped to keep it that way.

_One really lucky guy._

"I never thought I'd find you here," Tifa said.

Cloud's voice was quiet. "Yeah. It's been a while."

"What happened to you? You look..." She wasn't quite able to find the words to describe how he looked. The boy she knew was small, shorter than her even though he was a year older. The man in front of her was still on the short side but he'd finally grown taller than her. He seemed maybe a little too thin, but what was there was all muscle. "... different," she finally finished.

"I'm okay. Really."

Tifa played nervously with the fingers of her gloves. "How, how long as it been?"

"Five years."

That pause did not feel right. Zack started to wonder if he should intervene.

"What is it?" Cloud asked.

Tifa finally nodded. "It's really been a long time."

Cloud bowed his head. "Tifa, I..."

Tifa grabbed his hand. Cloud blushed, but didn't vanish. "We shouldn't talk out here. Come on, we can talk more in my bar."

_Her bar?_ Zack's eyebrows went up. Seems they weren't the only ones who went entrepenurial after Nibelheim. He looked down at the bag Cloud dropped. With a bit of a sigh he scooped up what wasn't broken and headed back to their (using the term generously) house on the reactor end of Sector 6.

He'd come back for Cloud, eventually. Once they had a chance to catch up.

_Poor Cloud is still not quite up to even his usual standard when it comes to communicating. Blame the mako poisoning. Or maybe him being physically 21 but mentally 16. A badly mentally damaged 16. At least Zack trusts Cloud not to go wandering off now. I've always wondered a bit at the portrayal of Zack in most fanfics. Sure, the guy's protective, but he doesn't seem the sort to smother someone. Nibelheim proved that he was willing to let his friends work out their own problems._


	5. Mercenaries

**Chapter Five - Mercenaries**

Barret glared at the young man Tifa dragged into the bar.

"Who the hell is that?"

"A friend. A friend I haven't seen in a very long time."

Barret seemed to understand and backed off, by three feet. Tifa ignored him and led Cloud to a table in the corner.

"Tifa..."

"Hmm?"

"I..." Cloud found a spot near his left boot facinating. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"At Nibelheim. I tried. I wanted to keep our promise."

He wasn't there. He couldn't have been there.

Tifa tried to look at his eyes, but he kept staring at the floor and it'd look too awkward to get her head at the right angle.

"Did you make SOLDIER?"

Cloud didn't move for a moment, then shook his head.

That sucked up a lot of the questions she had ready.

"Um. So what have you been doing all this time?"

"Work. Various things." Cloud looked up slightly. "I'm glad you're all right."

"I'm glad you're all right, too."

The silence between them could be cut with a knife. Barret finally shattered it with a deep cough.

"So, your friend gonna order something or is he just gotta sit there like a lump?"

"Barret!"

Anything else she might have said was interupted by a low grumble from Cloud's stomach.

Tifa stood up. "What would you like?"

"Anything."

"I'll grab something quick." As she passed Barret she whispered, "Be nice."

She silently thanked Barret for his intrusion. Alone in the kitchen she was able to let some of the tears fall.

She hadn't seen Cloud in seven years. Cloud wasn't in Nibelheim five years ago. There was no way Cloud could know what happened. Not her Cloud.

But this Cloud looked like him, sounded like him, and knew her. He knew about their promise.

She wiped her face dry before returning to the main part of the bar. The meal wasn't much, some sausages and reheated vegetables, but Cloud devoured them like he'd been starving.

"Thanks." Cloud fell silent again. Tifa started to wonder if she should say something when Cloud spoke again. "How did you... after the reactor..."

"I don't know." Tifa stared at her hands. "I woke up in a small clinic here in the slums."

"I'm sorry. I should have gotten there sooner."

When did he get there?

"You came, that's what matters."

"Tifa?"

She tilted her head slightly to one side.

"Um. Do you need any work done around here?"

Was he asking for a job?

"Not exactly. Why?"

"Zack and I are mercenaries now."

_Zack? No. It had to be a different Zack._

"Mercenaries?"

"Yeah. We do odd jobs. Mostly helping with deliveries, but we can fight, too."

Fight. If they had Cloud in their group she could keep an eye on him. She could be close to him. She trusted Cloud. Zack was the problem.

"Is Zack a friend of yours?"

Cloud nodded.

"And you trust him?"

"With my life."

Good enough. "Why don't you bring him over and we can talk about a job?"

Cloud nodded. "Yeah. I'll get him."

He stepped out onto the porch and froze. Zack was nowhere in sight. He tried to think. His brain still felt fuzzy and not quite right, which frustrated him.

Zack had been there when he saw Tifa. Zack wasn't there now. Was Zack avoiding Tifa?

His mind went back five years. Tifa on the metal walkway. Zack standing over her. Tifa saying something about hating ShinRa and SOLDIER and...

Cloud swore under his breath and punched the railing. The wood splintered and cracked under his fist. The fog still held a lot of his mind, but he could guess what was going on. Zack didn't want to see Tifa because Tifa hated Zack.

But Tifa had agreed to see them. He had to tell Zack.

He ran down the steps and out of sight just as Tifa came out to see what the noise was about. She saw the dent in the railing and her vision blurred.

_Cloud. What happened to you?

* * *

_

Cloud knew the route to the shack they called home. That was the only place he could think where Zack might be. He ran fast. A corner of his mind told him he wasn't supposed to be able to run that fast.

He certainly _shouldn't _have run that fast.

What at first felt like a wall turned out to be Zack once Cloud staggered away.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Zack leaned over slightly to look at Cloud's face.

"Nothing. Tifa doesn't hate you. She wants to talk about a job."

Zack didn't quite follow that train of thought, but it was clear the reunion had not taken the direction he thought it would.

"Wait. You're saying Tifa wants to hire us?"

Cloud nodded.

Zack pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're reunited with the girl you like and you talk business."

"I... uh..."

* * *

"Never mind. Let's talk to Tifa." Maybe it was just Cloud's way of trying to get closer to her.

It was that Zack. Maybe that's why Cloud knew what happened in Nibelheim. Tifa also noticed that he was refusing to look at her.

_I hate it. I hate it all. ShinRa, SOLDIER, and you, too._

She had meant it. All except that last part. Well, maybe she meant it just a little. But only because it was supposed to be Cloud there instead of some stranger.

Only now she was glad Cloud hadn't had to witness that.

There was one problem with her idea of hiring these two. Barret was standing behind her. The instant he found out one of them was SOLDIER he'd most likely shoot first ask questions later. If at all.

She also had to find some way of apologizing to Zack.

She took a deep breath. "So you're a mercenary now."

"Yeah." Zack suddenly turned as conversational as Cloud.

Tifa looked over at where Barret stood by the cracked bar counter. The question had to be asked. She just hoped she could keep Barret from killing them.

"No loyalty to ShinRa?"

Zack tensed. Tifa thought she caught a brief glow as Cloud looked up and frowned.

Barret barked. "What's that? These guys work for ShinRa? Tifa, what're ya thinkin'?"

"Used to work for ShinRa," Zack countered. "We don't anymore."

We? Zack didn't seem the type to use the royal plural. Tifa glanced at Cloud. There was definitely something off about his eyes, but he'd said he didn't make SOLDIER so...

"We can't trust 'em. Nothin' doin'." Barret adjusted something on his gun arm.

"Fine." Zack turned to leave. Cloud stayed rooted in place, glaring at Barret.

"You got a problem, Spiky?"

"Yeah. You."

Zack froze. He did not like the sound of that.

"Why you little..."

"Barret!" Tifa stepped between the two men. She turned to Barret, her voice low. "Listen, they say they don't have any loyalty to ShinRa and I believe them. I think we should give them a chance."

Zack turned back around slowly. He definitely did not like the sound of that.

Barret grumbled something barely inteligible.

"Aren't you always saying we're short staffed?"

Barret growled. "Fine! But listen you two," his finger lingered on Cloud, "I'm keepin' my eyes on you. Any funny business and you're history."

"That's great," Zack said, "but you haven't told us what we're being hired for."

Barret crossed his arms. "Welcome to AVALANCHE."

Zack most sincerely did not like the sound of that.

* * *

_Cloud starts to use more words! At least while talking to Tifa. Anyway, the story progresses! Zack and Cloud are hired by the new (and improved?) AVALANCHE. Zack gets some serious doubts about their new employers and Cloud starts baiting Barret. What? It's just so easy._


	6. First Mission

**Chapter Six - First Mission**

He continued to not like it for several reasons.

The first was that now they had to move into the bar. It was definitely a more stable building, it was an actual building for one thing, but there wasn't much privacy. Aerith hadn't come to visit all that often at their old place, but those few times were nice, and Cloud was friend enough to give them alone time.

Barret definitely wasn't a friend. Just calling Aerith was awkward with that black mountain hovering over his shoulder.

At least Aerith seemed to understand. She was used to being watched and knew they were being hunted so even though he hadn't given her any details, she accepted that their meetings would be few and far between for a while.

The worst part of it was that they didn't seem to be doing anything remotely criminal. He'd been on missions involving AVALANCHE, and this was nothing like what he'd seen. No uniforms, no human experiments, no creepy chanting... Zack had to shake his head. That student of planet-life had been right. AVALANCHE and ShinRa were alike. Or had been. Aside from the creepy chanting. Unless ShinRa had decided to add that recently. A lot changed in five years.

Zack took the time they had to modify his and Cloud's armor. The belts had to go, specifically the insignia on the front, but the suspenders stayed mainly for the supermagnet on the back that could hold a giant sword in place. He even found a sword for Cloud, a cast-off ShinRa infantry issue one. Apparently a mechant in Wall Market found it in a pile of trash and decided to sell it. Everything seemed to come from piles of trash around here. This sword could be worn at the hip in a normal sheath, but Zack figured he might find a better (and possibly larger) sword later so he kept Cloud's suspenders intact, too. The remains of their uniforms looked a bit haphazard after he was done, but they weren't going to be mistaken for ShinRa standard issue either, which was the whole point.

Then that day came. The trio of Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge came in after Barret cleared the bar of patrons. Violently cleared the bar of patrons. At least Zack knew where all the bullet holes in the floor came from.

Jesse stepped next to the pinball game and pressed a button underneath. The floor lowered into a section of the basement Zack hadn't known existed.

And he remembered why Seventh Heaven sounded so familiar. It was the name he came up with for the carpenter almost six years ago. The one who got over enthusiastic and mentioned how a secret base under the bar would be perfect for the slums. Looks like he got his secret base.

*7*7*

The plan Barret outlined in the secret room was simple. Get into the reactor, set the bomb, get out before the bomb blew. Simple. Stupid.

"You can not be serious. What about all the people who live near there?" Zack glared at Barret who just glared back.

"'Course we're serious. Reactor one's closest to a bunch o' businesses. So we're doin' this at night ta reduce casualties."

Still a stupid plan.

"You do know that there's security in there, right?" Zack said.

Barret grunted. "'Course we do."

Jessie waved a set of cards. "That's why we got these access codes."

Maybe not quite so stupid. Though what they hoped to accomplish by blowing a reactor was beyond him. Sounded more like an act of desperation.

"So when do we start?" Cloud glared as much as he could with glassy eyes at Barret. Zack wasn't sure he liked this side of Cloud, though he had to admit their employer rubbed him the wrong way, too.

"Tomorrow," Barret said, glaring back. "Make sure you all have your parts memorized by then."

Once the meeting was over Zack followed Tifa upstairs.

"Was Cloud like this when you knew him?"

Tifa nodded. "He got into a lot of fights. Why do you ask? You're his friend, right?"

"Yeah. It's just that I haven't seen him so, I dunno, confrontational before."

Tifa made a small noise and started cleaning up the bar. Zack really hoped he hadn't said something he shouldn't have.

*7*7*

Cloud felt strong. Bits of the fog were clearing from his mind and he noticed that his body felt different. It scared him. Probably would have scared him more if he could remember how his body got that way. But he was mostly thrilled.

He could spar with Zack. Zack, a SOLDIER first class. Everyday after practice Cloud could feel his muscles burning from the exertion. Everyday the practice sessions lasted longer before he collapsed. He felt like he could do anything. Including protect Tifa. So what if he'd never made SOLDIER. Right then he thought he was just as much an ex-SOLDIER as Zack.

They were going on a mission together. As equals. Partners. Cloud followed Zack's movements as they jumped off the train. He had to do his best and prove that he was worthy of being Zack's partner.

"Hold it right there!" Infantrymen blocked their path.

Zack reached for his sword as Cloud jumped forward. Before Zack could say anything the two guards lay unconscious on the train platform.

Zack had to chuckle. "Hey, leave some for me, will ya?"

Cloud smiled, but it wasn't natural. It looked more like a grimace.

Zack pushed those thoughts away as they caught up to the rest of the team.

"Wow," Biggs said. "You two were in SOLDIER, all right! Not everyday ya find one in a group like AVALANCHE."

Jessie looked up from the lock pad by the gate to the reactor area. Her eyes widened as she looked between Biggs and the two SOLDIERs. "SOLDIER? Aren't they the enemy? What're they doing with us in AVALANCHE?"

Just what they needed on this mission, distrust.

Biggs shook his head. "Hold it, Jessie. They WERE in SOLDIER. They quit them and now are one of us."

Talk about over simplifying, not to mention bad grammar.

Biggs turned to Zack and Cloud. "Uh, I didn't catch your names."

"Zack."

"Cloud."

"Huh. My name's Biggs."

Barret charge up to them. "What the hell you all doin? I thought I told you never to move in a group."

Zack rolled his eyes. "Considering there's only one entrance, I don't see how we have a choice."

"Shut it, SOLDIER-boy." Barret addressed the group. "Our target is the north mako reactor. Meet up at the bridge in front of it."

Everyone nodded and as soon as Jessie got the gate open they vanished into the shadows inside.

Everyone that is except Zack, Cloud, and Barret.

"Ex-SOLDIER, huh." Barret put a little too much emphasis on the 'ex.' "Don't trust ya!"

"As if you haven't made that clear already," Zack said, walking passed him. Cloud followed, glaring daggers at the man even though his eyes still seemed a bit glazed. Zack had to doubt Cloud's sanity for challenging someone who weighed three times what he did.

Then again, this was the same Cloud who took on Sephiroth, and won. No, this Cloud was probably stronger. If not emotionally then certainly physically.

As they cut their way through the robot security, Zack laughing everytime he got a kill in before Cloud. Pretty soon they were both keeping score.

Barret and the others were waiting by the main door to the reactor. Zack's face went grim. Was he really going to help blow up a reactor? He remembered what his home town looked like.

"Yo!" Barret's voice snapped Zack into the present. "This your first time in a reactor?"

"No," both Zack and Cloud said together. This time Cloud wasn't the only one trying to kill with his eyes.

"The planet's full of Mako energy," Barret said, apparently ignoring them. "People use it every day. It's the life blood of this planet. But ShinRa keeps suckin' the blood out with these weird machines." He waved his gun arm at the maze of piles and conduits surrounding them.

_Thanks for the mental image._ Zack's scowl deepened. "We're not here for a lecture. Let's just hurry."

"That's it! You two are comin' with me from now on."

"Lucky us."

Biggs turned around with a thumbs up. "Code deciphered."

Zack just wanted to get this over with.

Cloud noticed the changed mood in his friend. He wanted to say something but he couldn't show concern in front of Barret. He certainly couldn't let anyone think there was something wrong with Zack. So instead he dropped his left hand to his hip and rubbed his thumb along the hilt of his sword. He had to leave the rifle behind since it might make too much noise.

Jessie motioned them to the now open second door. As Cloud passed she gave him an odd smile and ducked into the elevator next to him. Cloud cocked his head to one side. What was with her?

Zack caught the look and couldn't help softening his features. Jessie was pretty cute. He considered turning on the old Zack charm, but between the cramped space and the seriousness of the mission he decided against it.

Besides, he had a girl. A great, wonderful, fantastic girl.

"Hey! Git you're head out of the clouds and move!"

Oh, right. Mission. Deadly situation. Abrassive team leader.

"You missed another lecture," Cloud said. From the tone, Zack was thankful he had. The two friends took the rear of the line until Barret yelled at them to walk where he could see them. Cloud went down the stairs first, followed by Zack, then Barret and Jessie.

"Hey," Cloud said in a low voice. "Do you think the planet is really dying?"

"Dunno."

"And what we're doing...?"

Zack sighed. "Probably more annoying than-heads up!"

*7*7*

Barret swore loudly as he reached the bottom of the stairs. Bits and pieces of security drones littered the floor like confeti.

Zack and Cloud sheathed their weapons.

"I got five," Zack said. "You?"

"Three. Plus one of those weird... things." Cloud's voice sounded a bit mechanical, which it did now whenever an unpleasant emotion would've been more appropriate.

Zack glanced over and noted the blue-clad robot. At least he hoped it was a robot, some of the pieces looked too organic for his taste. There was also the shape that reminded him too much of the things he fought in the Banora underground.

"Hmm. I guess that can count as two." Zack reminded himself to keep things light for Cloud's sake. "Guess we're even."

"I was ahead by one in the last encounter, remember?"

"Oh yeah."

"You ladies done or what?" Barret bellowed from just inside the maintainance shaft.

Zack grinned. "He likes us."

"Ew."

The further down they went the lighter the security. Jessie stayed up on the catwalk as the three men navigated the pipes and ladders down to where they were going to place the bomb.

Zack couldn't help but notice Cloud grow increasingly silent. The last time he was in a reactor hadn't ended pleasantly.

This time would be different.

Barret, oblivious to the angst behind him, practically crowed. "When we blow this place, this ain't gonna be nothin' more than a hunka junk."

Zack put his hands in his pockets. "Let's just get this over with."

"Sure, sure." Barret eyed them. "Spiky, you set the bomb."

Cloud blinked. "Shouldn't you do it?"

"Jus' do it! I gotta watch to make sure you don't pull nothin'."

"Fine." Cloud stepped forward and took the device from Barret.

Zack watched, too, and noted that setting the bomb was easier with two hands.

Cloud had just finished setting the timer when an alarm sounded. Zack already had the Buster sword in hand.

Barret lifted his gun arm. "Heads up, here they come!"

"No kidding. What gave it away?" Zack shot back.

He'd fought enough scorpion mechs to really hate the things. Cloud started to run forward, but Zack stepped in his path. "Don't attack when it's tail is up. It'll counter attack."

"Yeah, so when do we attack?" Barret shouted. "'Cause I don't see it lowering that tail."

Zack also doubted Cloud's sword would make more than a dent in that thing's armor. He held the Buster sword down and behind him as he jumped over the main body of the mech. The blade caught between the joints of the tail. Between his momentum, mass, and strength, the tail ripped off.

He turned and saw that Cloud already had his sword rammed into the space between one of the legs and the body. Barret was showering the mech's 'head' with bullets. Zack grinned. They made a pretty good team.

Cloud and Zack shoved the expensive piece of scrap and circuitry off the catwalk so Barret could get passed.

"How long do we have?" Zack said.

"Ten minutes, so get you're ass in gear."

Barret ran remarkably fast for a man his size. Of course, he did have quite the motivation.

Cloud and Zack still passed him easily. In fact, Cloud was the first one to reach the catwalk Jessie patrolled. Only she wasn't patrolling, she was kneeling at an odd angle.

"What's wrong?" Cloud said. Zack jumped up next to him.

"My foot's stuck." Jessie sounded more angry than scared.

Cloud knelt to help her work her foot free of the metal mesh. Zack checked the clock on his phone. He wanted to help Jessie, too, but they also had to get out before the whole place blew.

"What's the hold up?" Barret puffed up the ladder.

"Nothing." Zack scooped Jessie up over his shoulder the instant she was free.

They ran, they sweated in the elevator, they ran again. Biggs and Wedge were already at the bridge between the plates. They just made it into the maintainance tunnels when a deafening boom and fireball consumed the space.

* * *

_Maybe it's just me, but blowing up reactors did seem like a pretty dumb thing to do. I mean, really, between colatoral damage and ShinRa almost certainly having the resources to fix the durn things, is it really worth the trouble? On the other hand, what else could five people do?_


	7. This Train We're On

_AN: Okay, it's a little late in the day for me to get this up, but at least it's still Friday. For some weird reason I wasn't able to access the website for awhile. At least it's back now._

**Chapter Seven - This Train We're On**

Jessie knelt by the rubble, placing some directional charges. Everyone else sat or stood well back, trying not to feel claustrophobic. Especially Zack and Cloud, who shared a certain revulsion for small cylindrical spaces and sickly green glow. Even if Cloud couldn't remember why. Nausea swept over Cloud but he held it in. He refused to show weakness.

"That should keep the planet going... at least a little longer," Biggs said.

Wedge nodded weakly. "Yeah."

_And if we're lucky, not too many innocent people will be hurt._ Zack tried to shake the gloomy thoughts from his head. It wasn't healthy to dwell on those things.

Jessie jumped up. "Okay! Now everyone get back."

The blast may have been a little more than absolutely necessary. The flames snaked around the doorway as Cloud and Zack jumped out. The others were a bit more cautious. Even so, Wedge had to beat out a bit of flame from his rear.

"All right," Barret yelled, "now let's get out of here. Rendezvous at Sector 8 station! Split up and get on the train!"

"Why don't you just hand ShinRa your address?" Zack rubbed his ear.

Barret made a point of ignoring him. Whatever. Zack ran up the stairs to one of the back alleys leading to Loveless Avenue. Cloud followed close behind. There was destruction everywhere. People were panicking. If this had happened five years ago Zack knew he'd be cursing whoever was responsible and do everything in his power to bring them to justice.

_Angeal, what do I do?_

His thoughts were interrupted by Cloud saying one word. "Aerith."

Zack's eyes snapped back to the present. Someone must have bumped into her because she was just getting to her feet. Slender hands dusted off her dress.

"Aerith!" Zack ran forward. "What are you doing here?"

Aerith smiled. "I'm selling flowers."

"Above the plate?"

Her eyes went down to his hands, which were holding hers and refusing to let go. "The sky isn't as scary at night."

"Zack, we should go." Cloud stepped beside him.

"Oh right." He wasn't leaving Aerith there, though. "It's dangerous here, come on."

The trio ran through the streets toward the train station. Just one little problem, they were being followed.

Even with Aerith with them Zack was sure they could out run the infantrymen behind them. Until two more appeared around the corner ahead.

He was not going to subject Aerith to a bloody battlefield. "Cloud! Just knock them out!"

A bullet hit him in the shin. He heard Aerith scream.

He didn't bother with fists, he just barreled over the infantrymen. Cloud took care of three more ahead of them.

More came. A lot more. There was no way he could protect Aerith from stray bullets. Even with Cloud there they weren't getting out uninjured.

Unless...

Their backs were to the wall keeping pedestrians from falling to the rail lines below. The rumble under their feet heralded the passage of a train.

Zack grabbed Aerith around the waist. "Cloud! Jump!"

Aerith shrieked as they fell. Zack's landing dented the roof of the train car. Behind him he heard Cloud's much lighter landing.

Zack felt Aerith's arms around his neck and her rapidly beating heart against his side. He didn't want to scare her, but it was better than dying. And her panic-induced hug did feel rather good.

Cloud leaned over the edge of the roof. "We can get in here."

*7*7*

They burst in on the rest of AVALANCHE, much to Zack's surprise. Cloud's, too, though his still looked a bit mechanical.

"What the? Why you..." Barret's tirade was cut short when he saw Aerith. "Who the hell is that?"

"My girlfriend." Zack's eyes burned. "So be polite."

Barret sniffed. "That's why you were late? Thought you were more professional tha-GURK!"

Zack had Barret pinned to the opposite wall of the cargo car. "I rescued her from getting tramped by a panicked mob. A mob running from the damage you caused."

Cloud moved in front of Aerith as she closed the door.

"Zack!" Aerith said. "Stop it."

Zack dropped Barret, who rubbed his throat with his good hand. "I told you to be polite."

"Yeah." Barret glared at Zack, but there seemed to be just a bit of respect that hadn't been there before. "Let's git movin'."

The party moved toward the passenger part of the train. Cloud was at the end of the line because Jessie stopped him.

"You're face is covered in soot," she said, taking out a greasy handkerchief. She wiped some of the soot away, much of which was replaced by whatever sort of grease was on the cloth. "There, that's better." She smiled at him again. "Say, thanks for helping me back there at the reactor!" Then she left with the others.

Cloud had no idea why she did that.

"Last train out of Section 8 Station. Last stop is Sector 7, Train Graveyard. Expected time of arrival is 12:23AM, Midgar Standard Time..."

Everyone made themselves at home while the automated announcer continued to give details on the route. The normal passangers left the minute they arrived, so there were plenty of seats. The two people left were some drunk and an old man who looked like he might die in his sleep at any moment. Even so, Barret and Aerith were the only ones who actually sat down. Biggs leaned against the the end of the bench as if on watch while Wedge and Jessie checked the computer terminal across from him.

Cloud looked out the window while Zack started doing squats.

Barret growled. "Stop actin' like a kid. Si'down an' shudup!"

For a moment Zack considered saying something, well, fairly crude, but thought better of it. No sense starting any fights that he didn't have to.

"Fine." He leaned the Buster sword against one of the two benches and sat down between it and Aerith. He relaxed a little with her presence next to him. "Sorry about dragging you into this."

"It's all right. Shouldn't I take care of your wound?"

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing, not even bleeding anymore, see?" He lifted his leg to show there weren't any drips coming out of it. "I might find some bandages when I get back but otherwise it should just take care of itself."

Suddenly red flashing lights filled the car. Zack jumped up, Buster sword in hand. Cloud had his back to Zack's, his own blade drawn.

"Settle down!" Barret yelled. "We're goin' through a security check-point by Sector 0."

Zack and Cloud relaxed, Zack more than Cloud. Things had definitely changed in the five years they'd been gone.

Zack sat down again. "What kind of security check?"

Barret took out his ID card. "These things let the computers check out everythin' about the passengers. Relax, Jessie set us up with some fakes."

Zack leaned back in his seat. "You could've warned us."

"Fig'red the big, bad SOLDIERs would know 'bout this stuff."

"We've been gone for five years. Things change."

"Hmph." Barret turned to the window. "Look... you can see the surface now. This city don't have no day or night. If that plate weren't there we could see the sky."

Zack looked at Aerith, but she didn't seem bothered. She smiled at him and took his hand.

Cloud leaned over the bench next to Barret to look out the window. "A floating city... Pretty unsettling scenery."

"Huh?" Barret stood up. "Never expect ta hear that outa someone like you. You jes' full of surprises."

Cloud scowled a bit.

Barret ignored him. "The upper world... a city on a plate... It's cuz of that $^&#$^*& 'pizza,' that people underneath are sufferin'!"

Aerith bowed her head, her hand grasping Zack's a little tighter.

Zack's eyes narrowed at Barret. "Hey."

Barret didn't seem to hear him. "And the city below is full of polluted air. On topa that, the reactor keeps drainin' up all the energy."

"HEY!"

Even the drunk in the corner took notice of Zack's yell.

"Wha's yer problem." Barret's perma frown deepened. "The truth bother ya, SOLDIER-boy?"

"No. But you're bothering Aerith."

"Zack, I'm fine, really. I grew up in the slums, I know what it's like."

Barret scratched the back of his head. "Yer from the slums? Sorry 'bout that, I thought ya were one of them spoiled rich folk from the plate."

Aerith smiled. "I don't mind. It's good that you're so passionate about the welfare of others."

_Yeah,_ Zack thought, _so passionate that he put hundreds of people's lives on the line for his little crusade._

Cloud knelt on the bench, staring at the slums. He hadn't really noticed his surroundings before. Never considered the difference between the plate and the slums.

There was a slight catch in his voice as he spoke. "Why doesn't everyone move onto the plate?"

Barret's voice softened a bit. "Dunno. Probably cuz they ain't got no money. Or maybe... cuz they love their land, no matter how polluted it gets."

Cloud nodded. "I know... no one lives in the slums because they want to. It's like this train. It can't run anywhere except where its rails take it."

Zack took his hand out of Aerith's and wrapped it around her shoulder. She leaned against him as the train continued alone the course set for it.

* * *

_And Zack has second, third, and fourth thoughts about his employer. Aerith meets AVALANCHE. And I try to write an action sequence. Those things are hard!_


	8. Sector 5

**Chapter Eight - Sector 5**

The train screeched to a stop at the Sector 7 station. Barret barreled ahead of everyone else. "Yo! Get over here, all'ya!"

Zack shook his head. Looked like Barret was back to his old self.

Aerith hugged his arm. "You've made some interesting friends."

"Barret isn't a friend."

"They're still interesting."

The group gathered, Barret continued. "This mission was a success. But don't get lazy now. The hard part's still to come!" He looked over at Aerith and cleared his throat. "Well, SOLDIER-boy, guess you better walk your girlfriend home."

"I can make it by myself." Aerith started to walk away, then waved. "I'm happy I met all of you."

Barret almost smiled as Aerith walked away. "That's some girl you've got there. Shouldn't you make sure she's safe?"

"I couldn't even if I wanted to. Uh. She's pretty stubborn about these things."

"'S that so?" Barret lumbered ahead of the group. "Meet back at the hideout! Move out!"

"Does he have to yell like that?" Zack said to Cloud as they made their way back to Seventh Heaven. "It's like he's trying to tell everyone who we are."

"Maybe he is."

"Nah. I don't figure him as being an idiot. A bit delusional, but not an idiot."

Cloud stayed silent, watching the shattered pavement as they walked.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Zack slapped Cloud on the back. "We did pretty good back there. Bet Tifa'll love hearing about your heroics."

"I... don't want to talk to Tifa."

"Huh? Why not?"

"I... Did we do something wrong today?"

Zack sighed. "Well, I guess it's not really something to be proud of. On the other hand they did hire us for a job so... Oh, we're here."

Couldn't miss the place, really. Something about screaming patrons fleeing from a guy with a gun-arm made a place stand out.

Zack and Cloud waited until the frightened crowd dispersed before approaching Barret.

Barret folded his arms and stepped out of the way. "Okay! Go on ahead."

"Yeah." Zack started up the steps then stopped and turned toward Barret. "About the way you get rid of customers..."

"Ain't none o' your business. Now git!"

Zack shook his head again as he and Cloud entered the nearly deserted bar. Barret was definitely back to his old self.

"Papa!" Marlene stopped like she ran into a brick wall when the man walking through the door turned out to be Zack rather than Barret. Cloud stood next to him as the four-year-old retreated into the kitchen.

Tifa followed her. She knelt down to talk to the inexplicably frightened girl. "Marlene! Aren't you going to say anything to Cloud and Zack?"

Zack nudged Cloud in the ribs. "She said your name first."

Tifa walked up to Cloud, Marlene following reluctantly behind. "Welcome home, Cloud. Looks like everything went well. Did you fight with Barret?"

Cloud hung his head. "A bit, yeah."

"I should have known. He's always pushing people around, and you've always been in fights ever since you were little. I was worried."

Zack wondered briefly if Cloud had ever won any of those fights. He knelt down to try talking with Marlene. "Hey, kiddo, how are you?"

Marlene just stared and hid behind Tifa.

"Sorry, Zack. She's a bit shy."

"It's fine. I'd probably be scared too if a giant with an enormous sword tried to talk to me." He smiled as he stood up. "She just has to get used to me, that's all."

Barret crashed through the doors. Marlene brightened instantly and ran toward the looming hulk.

"Papa, welcome home!"

"Yeah." Barrett picked up the tiny girl and balanced her on his shoulder.

_I still can't believe that's her father._ Zack scratched the back of his neck. One would think she'd be used to giants with over-sized weapons by now.

"You all right, Barret?" Tifa asked.

"Great! Get in here, fools! We're startin' the meetin'!"

Everyone headed down to the secret room. Cloud paused to look at Tifa.

Tifa smiled faintly at him. "Would you like something to drink?"

"No." Cloud looked away. "I should get going."

"Oh. All right." Tifa looked as Cloud made his way downstairs. _Please be safe._

Barret was punching a much abused punching bag while the TV ran a news report. They hadn't wasted any time getting their bomb run on the news.

"Yo, Zack!" Barret stopped punching to face a somewhat startled Zack. It was the first time Barret had used his actual name. "There's somethin' I wanna ask ya."

"What's that?"

"Was there anyone from SOLDIER fighting us today?"

Cloud entered the room at that moment.

Zack shook his head. "Nope. They don't usually patrol the reactors, anyway."

Barret punched the bag. "You sound pretty sure."

Zack shrugged. "If there was anyone from SOLDIER you wouldn't be standing here now."

"Don't go thinkin' you so bad jes cuz you was in SOLDIER." Barret stepped forward waving his fist and gun-arm. Biggs tried to hold him back but Barret pushed him away.

"That's not..."

"Yeah, you're strong," Barret said, just a little calmed down. "Probably all them guys in SOLDIER are. But don't forget that your skinny ass's workin' for AVALANCHE now! Dont' get no ideas 'bout hangin' on to ShinRa."

Zack's eyes narrowed. "What?"

Cloud stepped forward. "Staying with ShinRa? You asked him a question and he answered it. That's all." With that Cloud stormed back toward the lowered pinball machine. Just in time to run into Tifa.

"Wait, Cloud!"

Barret growled. "Tifa! Let him go! Looks like he still misses ShinRa!"

Cloud turned back toward Barret. "Shut up. I'm leaving."

"Hang on, Cloud." Zack figured it was about time he stepped in. He turn to Barret, trying to look as imposing as he could, which was pretty imposing considering Barret stood a good three or four inches taller than him. "We have no loyalty to ShinRa. They tried to kill us, they... did things that I at least can't forgive. But that doesn't stop me from recognizing an enemy's strengths, and one of those strengths is SOLDIER. If you want to fight ShinRa you will eventually face SOLDIER. Whether you survive or not depends on how prepared you are."

"You're bleeding!" Tifa's voice halted any further discussion.

"Huh?" Zack looked down at his pant leg. "Oh." He'd forgotten about that. "It's nothing, really."

Barret leaned against the wall. "So SOLDIER ain't invincible after all."

"I never said we were." Zack winced a bit as Tifa rolled up his pant leg. He reminded himself that he shouldn't frown so much. It'd damage his good looks for Aerith. So he grinned and looked at Cloud. "Hey, bet you wish you got injured so she'd fuss over you, huh?"

Cloud didn't say anything, just turned away. Zack thought he noticed a bit of red creeping across Cloud's hairline, though.

"So how you propose we face SOLDIER?" Barret managed not to bellow the question.

"Don't."

Barret smashed his fist into the punching bag again, swearing loudly. "Ya jes said we'd be facin' SOLDIER if we kept fightin' ShinRa! You sayin' we should give up? Nothin' doin'!"

"I'm saying, leave SOLDIER to me and Cloud." Zack looked over at Cloud. "You're okay with sticking around a little longer, right?" He motioned surreptitiously at Tifa, who was finishing bandaging his leg.

Cloud looked up and nodded slightly. "I guess."

So they stayed. Barret laid out their next mission, which would be the next day. Overall, it looked almost identical to the first one, though this time it was Reactor 5. Zack knew that reactor. Parts of the complex were directly over Aerith's church.

"Hey," Zack said, turning to Jessie, "try not to make the bomb too big this time."

Jessie nodded.

"Wha'sa matter, SOLDIER-boy?"

Before Barret could continue, Zack said, "Aerith lives in Sector 5."

*7*7*

The next morning Zack and Cloud wandered into the bar. The only other ones there were Tifa and Barret. Barret barked some orders about supplies then turned to leave. He stopped with his hand on the door.

"Uh, hey, I got something ta ask ya."

Zack raised his eyebrows. "What's that?"

"I, uh... I don't really know how to use materia!"

"No problem." Zack turned to Cloud. "Want to get some potions while I teach Barret about materia?"

"Sure."

"I'll go, too," Tifa said. "So, I'll meet you at the train station?"

Cloud and Zack reacted in unison. "What?"

Cloud shook his head. "You're not going on this mission. You can't."

"I am going. I can fight, you know."

Zack smiled. Looked like Tifa hadn't changed much. "Looks like we don't have a choice, huh, Cloud."

"Yeah." Cloud looked sullen as he and Tifa left the bar.

Pretty soon they were all gathered in the train heading for Sector 5. Barret threatened a ShinRa employee and generally acted like his usual self. Zack rolled his eyes and smiled. He almost hated to admit it, but he was starting to kind of enjoy working for AVALANCHE. Sure, they were a bunch of extremists with dubious (at best) methods of trying to make their point, but they were good people at heart. That counted for something, right?

The red lights flashed as they passed through the security checkpoint. This time neither Zack nor Cloud reacted, until they saw how their companions were reacting.

Tifa, especially, looked worried. "It's early!"

Just then an automated warning sounded. "Type A Security Alert! Unidentified passengers confirmed… A search of all cars will be conducted! Repeat! Type A Security Alert! Unidentified passengers confirmed… A search of all cars will be conducted!"

"What's happening?" Tifa ran to stand next to Cloud, who was also standing, sword drawn.

Zack shook his head. "There's not enough room in here for a sword fight."

Jessie ran in from the next car. "We're in trouble, I'll explain later. Hurry! Get to the next car!"

They ran from one car to the next, trying to outrun the scanners and any security that might be coming. Finally they reached the end of the train.

"This is where we jump!" Barret forced the door open.

Zack just nodded before leaping out into the unknown. Tifa and Cloud followed soon after, with Barret not far behind.

Barret grunted as he got to his feet. "Good so far, everything's going as planned."

"You planned that?" Zack pointed above them. "And where's Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie?"

"Don't worry 'bout them. They can take care o' themselves."

Tifa looked around. "Where are we?"

"Maintenance tunnels." Zack looked around, getting his bearings. "A major security hole. Looks like no one took the hint from last time."

"Yeah? So which way to the reactor?" From the way he stood Barret obviously didn't like having to follow someone else's lead, but at least he could swallow a little pride when necessary.

"This way."

Aside from a couple detours the mission didn't go all that much differently than the first. Cloud had his rifle along this time in case another scorpion mech showed up, but that was the extent of the differences. That is, until they tried to leave. The bridge between plates was swarming with infantrymen.

"A trap..." Cloud unsheathed his sword.

Zack gripped the hilt of his own blade. It didn't look good. The space was too narrow and they were surrounded.

Then things got worse.

Barret's jaw nearly hit the catwalk. "Presi... President Shinra?"

Tifa didn't drop her ready stance. "What's the President doing here?"

That fat rat just smiled at them. "Hmm… So you all must be that...what was it?"

"AVALANCHE!" Barret roared. "And don't ya forget it! And you're President Shinra, huh?"

Zack inclined his head in a sort of mock bow. "Long time no see, President."

"Hmm? Oh, yes I heard something about a SOLDIER who betrayed ShinRa. You must be him from the look in your eyes. Tell me, traitor, what was your name?"

"Zack Fair."

The President stroked his mustache. "Forgive me for asking, but I can't be expected to remember each person's name. Unless you become another Sephiroth. Yes, Sephiroth… He was brilliant. Perhaps too brilliant…"

Cloud's voice sounded distant. "Sephiroth...?"

"Don't give a damn 'bout none of that!" Barret waved his gun-arm. "This place's goin' up with a big BANG soon! Serves y'all right!"

_I'd just as soon not get caught in the explosion, though,_ Zack thought.

President Shinra smiled. It didn't improve his looks. "And such a waste of good fireworks, just to get rid of vermin like you…"

"VERMIN!" Barret looked like he was about to rant again.

"Hey!" Zack said. "Less talking more figuring a way out of here!"

The smile left the President's face. "You are beginning to bore me. I'm a very busy man, so if you'll excuse me…I have a dinner I must attend."

Barret's rant wouldn't be stopped this time. "Dinner! Don't gimme that! I ain't even start wit' you yet!"

A helicopter lowered even with the President. "But I've made arrangements for a playmate for you all."

The infantry left. Not a good sign. Even worse was the unfamiliar robot that rattled into view.

The worst was the self-satisfied way President Shinra talked. "Meet 'Airbuster,' a techno-soldier. Our Weapon Development Department created him. I'm sure the data he'll extract from your dead bodies will be of great use to us in future experiments."

Cloud blinked. "Techno-soldier?"

The President got onto the helicopter. "Now then, if you'll excuse me."

"Wait, President!" Zack yelled at the retreating helicopter.

"Yo, Zack!" Barret's voice brought him back to earth. "We've gotta do somethin' 'bout him!"

Tifa backed away from the advancing monstrosity. "Help, Cloud! THIS is from SOLDIER?"

Cloud just stared at it.

"No way!" Zack couldn't believe SOLDIER could be replaced by something like that. "It's just a machine." He remembered reading that the Weapon Development Department was getting extra funding at the expense of both SOLDIER and the infantry, but he couldn't believe it.

Barret cocked his gun-arm. "I don't care what it is! I'm gonna bust him up!"

Those words seemed to snap Cloud out of his daze. "Yeah!" He rushed forward as Barret sprayed the Airbuster with bullets. Even Tifa joined in the fight, and all she had for weapons were leather gloves and steel-toed boots. And some killer moves.

Zack felt a cocky grin spread across his face. "Hey! Leave some for me!"

The machine went down easily. It's broken parts sparked and shuddered. Before they could even consider celebrating, those same parts exploded.

Zack waved his arms, trying to clear the smoke. A gaping hole separated him from Tifa and Barret. Barret was yelling something but Tifa stayed on her knees at the edge of the hole. Where was Cloud?

No. Zack looked down. Hanging from a loose rod near the bottom of the catwalk was Cloud.

"Cloud!" Zack's yell echoed Tifa's frantic scream. "Hang on!"

Tifa started to cry. "Cloud! Please don't die! You can't die! There's still so much I want to tell you!"

"I know, Tifa..." Cloud tried to pull himself up, but his movement only loosened the rod more.

Zack tried to reach his friend. Not quite. He looked up at Tifa and Barret. "Get out of here! Now! I'll take care of Cloud!"

Not a moment too soon. Tifa and Barret had barely disappeared, Barret having to carry Tifa away, when the explosions started. Both Cloud and Zack were blown into open air. For a moment Zack had the impression of familiar scenery, then the world went black.

* * *

_I'm still not entirely sure about the scene in the secret hideout, but I've already revised it twice. Does it seem like I'm sticking too close to the original plot? Don't worry, things will start to diverge more soon. Just, maybe not next chapter. I just hope I'm doing a good job with Cloud. He's supposed to be a little out of sorts, but I'm not sure I'm doing it right. I'm just not used to working with such a broken character, I guess. I need more practice._


	9. Separated, United

**Chapter Nine - Separated, United**

Aerith jumped back as the bodies crashed through the hole in her ceiling into her flower bed. A gasp escaped her lips when she saw who the bodies belonged too.

"Zack! Cloud!" She ran forward, kneeling beside them. Still breathing, thank goodness.

Zack's eyes blinked slowly. He grinned. "Heaven?"

Aerith giggled. "You never change."

"Yeah. But I seem to have gained some weight. Oof." He propped himself up on his elbows. "Cloud? Hey!"

"He's fine, just unconscious."

'Just' and 'unconscious' didn't belong in the same sentence for him.

Cloud groaned. "Who?"

Zack sighed. He really had to relax. "You know, maybe you should put a net up there to catch guests."

Aerith giggle again. "It would keep you off my flowers."

"Ah! Sorry about that." He shook the still not quite awake Cloud. "Come on, man. You can dream about Tifa later."

"I wasn't dreaming... about her."

"Sure, sure. Then why are you so reluctant to get up?"

"My head hurts."

"That's all? Come on." Zack stood up, Cloud under his arm.

"Hey! Put me down."

"Not until we're out of the flowers. Aerith's kinda protective of them." He set Cloud down at the edge of the flower bed. Then he turned to grin at Aerith. "Oh, the things I'll do to spend time with her."

Aerith tossed her empty basket at him. "Stop that!"

"Oh no! I'm under attack! Somebody save me!"

Cloud could only stand and watch, bewildered, as his friends played. He had a feeling he should know what they were doing, but it just looked silly.

Finally they stopped, maybe because they finally remembered that they had an audience. Zack's smile dimmed a little bit. "Ah. Hate to do this, but we should probably get going. A certain someone is probably worried about Cloud." His smile came back in full force.

Cloud wasn't sure why his face felt so hot.

"Can you stay long enough to fix my wagon?" Aerith held Zack's arm and looked up at him. Even in his fogged state, Cloud knew he should look somewhere else.

"Uh. Well. Yeah. I guess I cou..."

Because of his averted gaze, Cloud saw what made Zack trail off. Three infantry men stood in the doorway. Leading them was a man who wore the Turk uniform but looked like he had been sleeping in it.

Cloud's eyes widened. _The Turks are following us. The Turks are here._ His hand twitched at the hilt of his sword.

Zack stepped forward to stand next to Cloud. "Reno, right?"

"Huh. I thought I'd met you before when we got the assignment. You're that hot-shot SOLDIER who tried to bust into our turf."

"I was doing my job."

"And I'm doing mine. Sorry, man, but you and Spiky over there are coming with us."

Zack reached for his sword. "Not going to happen."

"NO!" Aerith yelled. "You'll ruin the flowers. This way!" She ran for a small back door that barely stayed on its hinges. Zack and Cloud followed close behind.

The back of the church was in horrible shape. Pieces of floor were missing and a huge piece of pipe blocked off most of the conventional routes.

Thankfully, they didn't have to take conventional routes.

Zack scooped Aerith into his arms. "You know you didn't have to go to all this trouble just for a hug," he said, beaming.

"Zack!" Cloud tried to find something to baricade the door.

"No problem, just make sure you keep up!" Zack jumped across the missing section of floor to the foot of some stairs. Zack heard Cloud land behind him as he ran up.

A couple of hedgehog pies jumped out of the shadows. They hopped forward, flabby bellies jiggling, to attack the intruders.

Zack barely broke stride as he left their bloody bodies behind.

"There they are, over there!" Reno's voice reached Zack at about the same time he reached the broken end of the walkway.

He only took a moment to make sure Cloud was following before jumping across to the bit of floor under a ladder. Setting Aerith on her feet, he pointed up the ladder. "We'll follow, just go! Quickly!"

Aerith nodded as she scaled the ladder as fast as her dress would let her.

For his part, Zack only waited long enough for Cloud to catch up. "What took you?"

"Not used to this, I guess."

Zack started to smile just before a bullet ripped through the floor at his feet. "Well, you're gonna have to get used to it fast. Come on!"

They passed a couple old barrels standing in the rafters of the church. "Cloud, run ahead, I'm going to try to slow them down."

Cloud nodded before running to where Aerith waited for them. Zack watched the infantrymen work their way to the main staircase. Moments later he shoved one of the barrels onto the lead grunt and watched as it chased the rest of their pursuers back the way they came. Sure of their lead, he ran to join up with Cloud and Aerith.

*7*7*

"Sorry about all that," Zack said once they were a safe distance from the church. If there was a safe distance.

"Don't be. They would have come for me sooner or later."

"Yeah, but it's my fault it was sooner."

Cloud sat down on one of the broken pieces of roof they were balanced on. "I'm the one who fell out of the reactor."

Zack sighed. "Okay, that's it. You are definitely a bad influence. Let's just say that it's nobody's fault and move on."

Cloud looked up. "Where to?"

"Dunno." Zack leaned against a bit of pillar sticking out of the rubble. "Seventh Heaven, but I'd rather make sure we aren't being watched first." He looked over at Aerith. "And I want to make sure Aerith gets home safely."

"I can make it by myself."

Zack shook his head firmly. "That's not going to work this time. Not with the Turks running around."

"They're after you, too. And if they caught you because you were with me..."

"They won't. I promise."

"All right." Aerith's eyes sparkled with mischief. "I'm sure Mom wants to see you, anyway."

Zack groaned, putting his hand over his eyes. "Maybe I should rethink this."

*7*7*

The meeting went a bit better than Zack feared. Elmyra eyed him somewhat suspiciously when she opened the door, but she certainly didn't slam it in his face.

"Zack. Glad to see you're well." She opened the door to let the trio in.

"Same here." His smile was nervous, different from his purposely flirtatious one but similar in effect. "Oh, this is my friend, Cloud."

Elmyra looked at Cloud closely. She reminded Cloud of someone, he couldn't quite place who and trying to remember made him feel sad so he just looked away.

She had already caught the glint in his eyes. "Another SOLDIER?"

Cloud opened his mouth to answer but Zack beat him to it. "Don't worry, he's harmless, like me."

"Mm-hmm." Elmyra's tone showed that she saw Zack as anything but harmless.

"Mom, they protected me."

"Protected?" Elmyra's eyes snapped from the two men to her daughter. "They were after you again?"

Aerith nodded. "But I'm fine. Because of Zack. And Cloud."

"Then I should thank you both." Her eyes went back to her daughter's rescuers, now seeing them as such. "I should also offer you a place to spend the night, since it's so late."

Zack was caught for a moment between their need to let Tifa know they weren't dead and his deep desire to spend some more time with Aerith. For once in a long time his own wants won out. He didn't protest. With the justification that it'd be easier to escape notice if they waited until sane people were on the streets.

"All right." Elmyra directed her attention back to Aerith. "Could you go fix up the spare bedroom? There should be a futon in the linen closet that can be laid out for one of our guests."

"I'll take the futon." Zack and Cloud looked at each other.

"Look, Cloud, you're shorter than me, you're more likely to fit in the bed."

"You were wounded yesterday. You should take the bed."

"It's healed. You take the bed."

Elmyra's expression softened a bit more at this exchange. "They're good boys."

"Mom, Zack's the same age as me."

"Which still makes him a boy in my eyes. And he will stay out of your room and you will stay out of his, understood?"

Aerith giggled. "I though you said he was a good boy."

"He's still a boy. Now get upstairs."

Aerith continued to giggle as she prepared the room for her guests. Soon a large shadow fell over her from the doorway. She looked up, smiling. Zack leaned against the doorframe looking like absolutely nothing in the world was wrong.

"You really can't let me go, can you?"

Aerith averted her eyes, acting coy. "What do you mean?"

"Inviting me to stay the night. And after you acted like you didn't want me to come at all."

"Mom invited you, not me."

She gasped as Zack lifted her off her feet into a warm hug.

"Have I told you how much I missed you?" Zack said into her hair.

"Everytime we meet. Or talk on the phone."

"Only because it's true. And I wish I could spend every waking moment with you to make up for those five years."

Aerith hugged him back. "You have quite the debt to repay. Do you remember my list of wishes?"

"'I want to spend more time with you.' If there was just some way we could spend that time..."

"Uh, Zack?"

Zack sighed at Cloud's voice. "...without getting interupted."

"I'm sorry. Mrs. Gainsborough said she needed you in the kitchen."

"Right. Of course she does."

As Zack left Aerith finished setting up the room. She was glad her mom invited them to stay even if it was a little dangerous. She wanted to know they were safe.

*7*7*

Cloud couldn't sleep. At night when everything was quiet the fog in his mind bothered him the most. There were places he couldn't reach, feelings he didn't understand, and it all made him feel incomplete. He didn't tell Zack about it, he didn't want his friend to worry. Besides, he knew that parts of the fog had lifted, so the remaining parts should lift eventually, too.

He lifted his right hand and stared at it in the darkness. He wasn't SOLDIER but everyone treated him like he was. There was something strange about his body, he knew that. Not just strange, wrong. At the edge of the fog he remembered lots of mako, pain, and a man in a white lab coat that took pleasure in whatever was happening. Cloud couldn't remember the details and something in his mind told him he didn't want to.

He clenched and unclenched his fist, watching the muscles of his arm tighten and relax. Days earlier he was thrilled at the strength he had. Now... he still liked it, he even wanted to get stronger, but there was something wrong about it, too. Something that was different or out of place and he cursed himself for not being able to identify it. It scared him more than it had when he first noticed how different his body felt.

_What am I even made of?_

Zack rolled over in the bed. The matress springs groaned under his weight. "Hey. Can't sleep?"

"Yeah."

"Me too. This bed definitely wasn't built with a guy my size in mind." Zack chuckled. Slum beds were proportioned to fit small rooms, not tall men. "Barret would probably break it just by touching it."

"I can sleep on the bed."

"Not a chance. Unless you want another squatting contest."

"You'll just beat me again." 

"I don't know, you came pretty close in that last match."

"Mmm."

"Cloud?"

"It's crowded down here, too. You wouldn't like it."

Cloud could hear the smile in Zack's voice. "Yeah. Probably not."

*7*7*

Tifa tried to think about anything but Cloud. After all, he was probably dead. Both him and Zack. So her mind focused on the hour after the explosion, starting when Barret picked up a panic-stricken eavesdropper outside Seventh Heaven.

The man couldn't talk fast enough with Barret's gun-arm two inches from his face. Tifa was sure the little slime was going to pass out before he said anything useful. He did pass out, but not before mentioning Don Corneo.

Tifa didn't know Barret could get any louder. He didn't calm down until Marlene wandered in, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Before tucking Marlene back into bed he gave Tifa a warning. "Leave that lecherous #&$*#^ the #&$*# alone."

So what was she supposed to do? Spend the rest of the night washing dishes? Pretty sure she already washed that cup.

That was hours ago. Biggs had a little fun making the spy sweat once he woke up then dragged him out saying something about, "Getting rid of some trash."

Tifa wished they could have gotten more out of him. This whole business bothered her. What was Don Corneo's connection to ShinRa? Just how much information had he gotten? Did ShinRa know about Seventh Heaven?

Forget Barret's warning. She threw the dishrag in the laundry and went to lock up the bar. From the outside. She'd find out what was going on herself. If she didn't do something productive she'd crack.

_Just how closely is Aerith being watched? Reno's timing seems a bit strange, after all. Okay, okay, plot wins out over odds. Still._


	10. All To Protect

_Well, I feel stupid. This was supposed to be up yesterday. Sorry._

**Chapter Ten - All To Protect**

"Hey. Hey." Zack nudged Cloud in the ribs. "Wake up, we're going."

"Mfgl. What time is it?"

"5AM. I want to get back to Seventh Heaven before we pick up our own Turk shadow."

Cloud stretched and yawned. "Yeah. Okay."

The two friends tiptoed their way out of the house. The didn't even dare put on their boots until they were outside.

Zack grinned. "Race ya to the playground!"

"Huh? What? Hey! Wait!"

They only got as far as the passage to Sector 6.

Aerith laughed as Zack skidded to a halt, Cloud running into him with enough force to knock both of them to the ground. "I thought you might try to sneak away without saying good-bye."

"I wanted to leave before the Turks showed up, and I figured you were still asleep." Zack picked himself up, trying not to sound too annoyed with her. She did know how dangerous the slums were at night, right?

"Well, I wasn't." Her face grew serious. "You're into something dangerous, aren't you? Even though ShinRa is looking for you, you're exposing yourself."

"Yeah. I, I'd like to think it's for a good cause." He made a quick note of the staff she carried. He couldn't remember her having a weapon five years ago. Dang it, he was supposed to protect her.

Aerith cocked her head. "I'd like to talk to your new friends."

"Heh. What are you, my Mom?"

"Maybe you need a little mothering."

"Uh, I'm still here."

Aerith and Zack looked back at Cloud. For his part, Cloud was most definitely not looking at them. Zack grinned.

"Yeah, you are. And I beat you, by the way."

Cloud scowled. "We're not at the playground yet."

"Oh yes! Let's go to the playground." Aerith clapped her hands. "It's been such a long time."

The broken highway was also a long walk. Especially for Cloud who had to listen to Aerith and Zack talk. He wasn't quite sure why he thought of Tifa at those moments. He remembered his promise to her and his failure to keep it, but besides that and some vague images of her walking up a mountain trail in a blue dress there wasn't much he remembered. The rest was stuck in that fog, just close enough to the surface for him to know it was there and to have feelings associated with it.

"Come sit with me!"

Cloud realized that in his mental searching he'd completely missed that they were at the playground. He also noticed something else. An overly ornate carriage pulled by a chocobo. In the back was...

"Tifa?" Cloud choked. What the heck was she wearing? "Tifa!"

Aerith and Zack looked at the fast disappearing carriage.

"That's Tifa?" Aerith asked. "She looked strange."

"Yeah." Zack jumped down from the moogle slide. "Cloud and I will deal with this. You should go home."

"No. I'm coming too."

"What? No, you, oh never mind." There wasn't time to argue. Cloud was already running after the carriage with Aerith following.

By the time they reached the neon lights of Wall Market the carriage had disappeared.

"Aerith, this is a really bad place for a girl to wander around."

"I'm not wandering around. I'm looking for a friend with two big, strong bodyguards to protect me."

Couldn't argue with that. Zack's protective instincts would have him just about killing anyone who so much as looked at Aerith the wrong way. He could probably hold it back to a bloody nose, maybe a death glare if he tried real hard.

"So, any ideas where to start looking? You're kind of the local expert."

"Hmm. The carriage looked like it belonged to Don Corneo, so I suppose either the Honeybee Inn or his mansion."

"The what?" Zack and Aerith looked back when Cloud spoke. It was too easy to forget he was there.

Zack blushed a bit. "The Honeybee Inn is sort of a, well, it's supposed to be entertaining."

"It's disgusting, from what I heard. Why would Tifa be going there?" Aerith wasn't sure who Tifa was, but she seemed to be connected to Cloud in some way. The whole situation didn't sit right with her.

Cloud strode passed them, his entire body seeming to radiate touch-me-and-die, even if he didn't understand the feelings behind that power, or that he was radiating like that.

Aerith certainly noticed, though. "He seems to be taking the bodyguard job very seriously."

"I think it's more concern for Tifa. Remember how I said there was a girl he liked? Well, it turns out she's alive and running a bar in the slums."

"Tifa?"

"Yeah."

"Then we better hurry."

*7*7*

The doorman at the Honeybee definitely felt the threatening aura coming off of Cloud. He barely started his welcome speech (just as well, it was rather insulting) when he gulped on his words.

"Where's Tifa?" Cloud said, his voice a flat monotone.

"Ah, you're quick," the doorman said, his eyes on the taller, but for the moment less threatening, man behind Cloud. "She's our newest girl. But I'm afraid you can't see her right now as she's having an interview with Don Corneo."

Zack put a hand on Cloud's shoulder before the younger man could act. "Thanks. We might be by later." He then led Cloud away to meet up with Aerith a few doors down.

"Hey," Zack said to Cloud, "mind turning the volume down a bit? You nearly had that guy soiling his shorts."

"What volume?" Cloud blinked uncomprehending.

"You practically have a sign over your head announcing murderous intent. I know you're worried about Tifa, but you've got to simmer down or I'll have to dunk you in ice water."

Cloud took several deep breaths before speaking again. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I feel like this."

"Are you kidding? Man, you are dense."

"Sorry."

Zack whapped Cloud on the back of the head. "Enough with the sorries, already. Now let's go rescue Tifa."

"Uh. Yeah."

The trio walked through Wall Market up toward the central edge of the sector where Don Corneo had his mansion. A single guard stood before the door. The guard raised his left hand as his other unstrapped a gun at his side.

"Hold it! The Don isn't interested in men, so don't let me catch you snooping around. ... Hey, you got another cute one with you!"

Zack started to reach for his sword but Aerith put a hand on his arm. Gently, she led Zack and Cloud back around the corner they just came from.

"I'll go take a look," she said. "I'll let Tifa know you're all safe."

"No! You won't!" Zack held Aerith by both arms. "It's too dangerous."

Cloud nodded in the background.

Aerith blinked as if confused. "Why?"

"Uh." Zack's face started to turn red. "You DO know... what kind of... place this is, don't you?"

"Then what am I supposed to do? You want to go in with me?"

Zack's chin fell to his chest. "Well, I'm pretty obviously a guy, so I don't see how I could."

"We could bust down the doors," Cloud suggested.

Zack shook his head. "Tempting, but it'd cause too much commotion. Tifa might be in there for a, ahh, good reason that we don't know about." He caught himself before saying the word 'mission'. By this time he had let go of Aerith and was busy scratching his head.

"I don't see any way of getting in subtly," Cloud said.

"No kidding, but I'm not letting Aerith go in there alone... why are you laughing?"

The last comment was directed at Aerith, who barely hide a mischievous giggle behind her hand.

"Zack, why don't we dress Cloud up as a girl?"

"What?" Both men shouted.

Zack managed to collect himself first, pushing his companions further away from the mansion. "Uh, Aerith, as amusing as that sounds, don't you think Cloud's been through enough trauma for one life time?"

"Well, then, I guess I'm going in alone."

"No. You. Are. Not."

"Which is it? Because not saving her isn't an option."

Zack clenched his teeth and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to think. There had to be a way, but unfortunately he wasn't seeing it. Short of demolishing a sizable portion of the mansion.

"I'll do it."

Somehow, neither Aerith or Zack had expected him to say anything on the subject.

"Uh, are you sure?" Zack wondered for a moment if Cloud had really processed what they were asking him to do.

"If it's to save Tifa, then yes." Cloud looked straight at Zack, his jaw set and eyes steady, if still a little glassy.

"Yeah." Zack still didn't like this plan. "First thing is finding a dress your size. Then there's dealing with that death glare you have going on."

Cloud closed his eyes and tried to relax. The thought of whatever might be happening to Tifa while they waited made that difficult.

Aerith clapped her hands, snapping Cloud's and Zack's attention to the present. "Now that that's settled, let's go about getting Cloud all pretty."

Both men groaned.

*7*7*

The most frustrating part of the next couple of hours, for Zack at least, was the lack of something to do. Aerith handled getting the inebriated dressmaker away from his booze. All Cloud had to do was stand in one place and get measured. The dressmaker muttered something about a buddy of his being jealous of Cloud's slender frame. It took a lot of will power for the two young men to resist the urge to leave and never come back.

Then there was the waiting. Dress making took time, even if a ready-made dress was being used as a base. They spent the time getting a bite to eat and discussing what else would be needed for a convincing disguise.

That is, if Aerith talking and Zack grunting could be called a discussion. Cloud said even less. He had agreed to this, but the process was freaking him out a little and he didn't want the others to know.

One thing Zack did contribute was point out that Cloud smelled of sweat and machine oil. The guy needed a bath, desperately. The problem was where to get a bath. Aerith's house was too far away and the inn would require that they spend the night, not to mention pay.

Zack felt around in his pocket. A rather round, sweaty man had mumbled something rather strange earlier before pressing a thin card into Zack's hand. There hadn't been a trash can nearby at the time so Zack had just pocketed it. Granted, with the state the slums were in one more piece of litter wouldn't make much difference, but old habits died hard.

He found it and pulled it out. As he thought, a membership card for the Honeybee Inn.

Aerith noticed it, too. "What is that?"

"Some old guy got cold feet and pushed this on me. It's not the ideal place for a bath, but at least the water's clean. I hope."

Aerith's eyes twinkled. "Is anything clean in that place?"

"How would I know? The first time I visited the slums was when I met you. And I sure didn't have any reason to go there after that... wait that didn't sound quite right."

"I know, Zack." Aerith laughed. "You should see your face right now."

"Uh, yeah." He could just guess what his face looked like at that moment.

"Hmm," Aerith continued, "technically I suppose that card belongs to you, and Cloud isn't the only one here who could use a bath."

Zack tried to cover his shock with a smirk. "You sure you trust me in that place?"

"Is there a reason I shouldn't? Besides, Cloud will be there, too. I'm sure you two will behave yourselves."

"I don't know if I want to leave you alone out here." Zack lowered his smile.

Aerith waved him off. "I'll stay at the dressmaker's until you come back."

Zack groaned slightly as he stood up. "Sure. Come on, Cloud." The two left the diner and headed toward the Honeybee Inn.

I really enjoy writing Zack and Aerith banter. They make romantic scenes so easy. Generally, I don't do romance at all because it just comes out awkward. Hehehe. Cloud in a dress. I really feel sorry for the guy. Especially since the rest of the fandom won't let him live it down.


	11. Assault on Manhood

_Well, I feel stupid. Once again I end up updating on Saturday instead of Friday. Oh well. Here it is.

* * *

_

**Chapter Eleven - Assault On Manhood**

Cloud made a point of looking at the floor when the Honeybee's hostess came to greet them. There just wasn't a safe place to look, otherwise. Everywhere women in tiny bee-themed bikinis hopped about greeting customers. Zack was having an equally hard time finding a good place to rest his eyes.

"Oh poo, I uh, mean, sir. Hurry, please choose a room."

"Huh?" Zack blinked. "Oh, sure. How about this one?" He pointed to a door to his left.

"All right, Now all we have to do is enter the room." She took out a set of keys from a pocket in her bee bustle and stepped toward the door. "You're not going to have a change of heart, are you?"

"Just open the door, please."

"Okay, okay. Don't get testy."

She led them into a room covered in blue tile with a bed near the door and a large hot tub at the other side.

"Shall we begin?"

Zack tried to keep his eyes from popping out of his head. She wasn't going to stay and watch them bathe, was she? Cloud fidgeted, his eyes refusing to go anywhere near her.

The hostess cleared her throat. "I guess since you chose this room, that would mean you hate being lonely?"

"It's just convenient. Could we have some privacy?" Zack mentally slapped himself at the unintended implications. Not that things could get much worse at this point.

"All right, all right. Come on, everyone's waiting."

Cloud's eyes snapped up, showing the same horror as Zack's.

"Everyone?" They echoed.

At that moment the door opened again. Eight over-sized men wearing little more than spandex speedos jogged in. The leader was a bit taller with broader shoulders and had a mustache that was slightly more oiled than his body.

The leader grinned in a way that made Zack and Cloud's skin crawl. "Wassup!"

"Nothing." Zack grabbed Cloud's shoulders and tried to find a way around the crowd. "We should get going."

The large men started breathing heavily. Their leader continued to grin. "Don't be so embarrassed! Loosen up, bubby! Let's wash off all our sweat and dirt together!"

Zack's eyes widened as the men advanced on him and Cloud. He wanted to fight, but that might bring security and he couldn't afford the trouble. He could try running, but that would risk getting separated from Cloud and he wasn't about to leave his friend behind. Even as he considered his options the spandexed men reached him and started to strip off his clothes.

"Hey! What are you doing!"

"Bubby! You're the intimate type, huh!"

Cloud pulled back his fist to fight back. A warning gesture from Zack made him stop. Still, he tried to make it as difficult as possible for the men to remove his clothing.

Neither of them liked the way the leader stared at their bodies. "Wow! Would ya look at that!"

Zack found himself wishing a hole would open in the floor and swallow him. The mass of bodies led him and Cloud to the hot tub, which was not designed with ten people in mind. Cloud had to sit on Zack's lap. Zack, for his part, tried to sit as far away from the strange men as possible. This proved to be impossible as the men were determined to sit as close to him and Cloud as possible.

The leader sighed. "Isn't bathing great? It soothes your heart." He started to massage Zack's increasingly tense shoulders. "How is it, bubby! Feels good, huh?"

"No." Zack really wanted that hole to show up.

Cloud grabbed the edge of the tub. "I'm leaving."

"What's the rush?" The leader reached passed Zack's head to grab Cloud's arm. "Why don't you try counting to ten?"

If he'd been alone, Zack might have considered just suffering through to the end before leaving. As it was, he didn't have the patience to deal with this nonsense. "Come on, let's get out of here." He batted the leader's hand away from Cloud's arm and stepped out of the tub. He could almost feel the man's eyes wander all over his body.

Cloud couldn't follow Zack's lead fast enough. He grabbed a towel and rubbed as if trying to remove more than just water from his skin.

"What the matter, buddy?" the leader asked. "Weren't we having fun?"

"NO!" Cloud and Zack said.

The leader pouted. "That's too bad. I really wanted to get to know you better."

That tore it. Zack and Cloud jumped into their clothes and ran for the door. Once safely outside, Zack leaned his head against a nearby I-beam. "Hey, Cloud, next time I get a bright idea like this, stop me, okay?"

"Yeah."

"Let's see how Aerith is doing."

*7*7*

Cloud did not like trying on the dress. It was all for rescuing Tifa, so he put up with it, but he didn't like it. Worse, he couldn't figure out where all the buttons and things went.

"How... do you put this thing on?"

Aerith poked her head through the curtains. Cloud's blush started at his hairline and worked its way down his neck.

"Whoa! What are you doing!"

"It's still not right." Aerith's expression went from serious to excited. "A wig! That's what you need!"

The now mostly sober dressmaker stepped behind Aerith. At least he didn't take a peek at Cloud changing. "Umm, I thought you might, so I talked to my friend about getting one. You know the gym? You'll find a lot of people there like you. Go and talk to them."

Cloud stepped out of the dressing room, back in his regular clothes. "...'like you'? Aerith, what did you tell him?"

Zack, standing across the room, covered his face with one hand.

Aerith smiled the way she only did when she was up to something. "Does it matter? Anyhow, we got a pretty dress!"

Both men groaned as they followed Aerith out of the shop.

Cloud leaned over to talk to Zack. "Is she always like this?"

"She's a bit more energetic than five years ago, but yeah, pretty much." Zack's grin widened. "I'm a lucky guy, huh?"

"Try saying that when she's stuffing you into a dress."

"At least she hasn't suggested taking any pictures yet."

"Don't even think it."

Zack chuckled. "You're waking up a bit more. Maybe this crazy plan wasn't such a bad idea after all."

Cloud looked up at Zack. How could Zack know about the fog in his head? Little bits of memory floated to the surface. A lot of fighting that Cloud couldn't participate in because he couldn't move. Zack having to carry him and fight for him. The thought infuriated Cloud but also made him feel horribly guilty. He had to prove that he could take care of himself. Even if he'd never be as good as Zack, he wanted them to be at least close to equals.

"You have got to be kidding."

Cloud looked up when Zack spoke. They were in the gym. Various bits of exercise equipment littered the floor and punching bags hung near the walls. At one end of the room was a boxing ring where two large, dark-skinned men practiced squats and punches. Watching them was a shorter but equally well muscled man wearing a powder-blue blouse and enough makeup to make a streetwalker gag.

At least the look the transvestite gave them was obviously male.

"You the one... Who wants to be cute?"

Cloud just stared, wide eyed. "Cute?"

Zack wasn't sure if he was suppressing a snicker or bile. Possibly both. He turned away from the scene hoping no one caught the expression on his face.

"Right." Aerith seemed completely oblivious to her companions. An act, Zack knew. "And about the wig..."

"Yeah, I heard." The muscle-bound transvestite's wave was a little too limp. "But it'll cost ya."

A growl interrupted anything else the ... man ... might say. A dark-skinned lump of muscle slightly shorter than Barret and maybe not as dark lumbered over from the punching bags. "Big Bro! The only way you're gonna get cuter is if you can beat the Big Bro!"

_Is Sector 6 populated entirely by weirdos?_ Zack mentally stamped on his fight of flight reflexes.

The two fighters in the boxing ring jumped down to join in whatever tussle the first guy had planned. Zack stamped harder.

"That's right!"

"So, you've got to compete with us!"

"You're right. Let's do squats."

"All right! We'll beat you out of this gym!"

Zack grinned. They had no idea who they were challenging. Not that Zack had any idea who was doing the challenging.

Cloud, of all people, seemed to. "Are you...?"

Aerith finished. "THE beautiful Bro?"

Zack blinked. He'd heard of the guy, loosely speaking. A wrestler with a few quirks that were odder than most. Zack wasn't all that interested in the alleged sport, it was all fake, anyway, so if _he'd_ heard of this guy...

"What? You didn't know? Always running around here saying 'Big Bro' this, 'Big Bro' that..." The attempt at a feminine sounding sigh failed, miserably. "Never mind that, come over here."

The last bit had apparently been aimed at the bulky guy who had first lumbered over. He stepped forward and started the typical showing off before a wrestling match. Neither Zack nor Cloud were terribly impressed.

'Beautiful Bro' spoke again. "Whoever has the most squats at the end of 30 seconds gets the wig." 'His' eyes glanced between Cloud and Zack. "Which of you will be competing?"

"This is more your thing, Zack."

Zack shrugged. "The wig's for your head. Besides, you could use the practice."

The wrestler who Cloud would apparently be competing against didn't seem to take that comment well. He growled and flexed more. "I'm not going to lose. Big Bro's wig is MINE!"

'Beautiful Bro' sighed again. "Just be quiet... It's not fair for you to start right away. So, you want to practice?"

Cloud took a deep breath and shook his head.

"Fine then. Start!"

Zack's usual grin widened. Cloud might still be a bit on the small side but he was fast and had training with Zack on his side. The local champion didn't stand a chance.

'Beautiful Bro' managed to look impressed under all that make-up. "You're really something. Okay, I'm a man of my word, here you are." He handed Cloud a blond wig with twin braids.

Cloud's opponent didn't take things so well. "I'm so mad I'm so so so- mad!"

A surprisingly strong punch from the transvestite sent the raving wrestler reeling. "Shut up! Don't cry just because you lost!"

Cloud and the rest didn't stick around to listen further.

Back at the dressmaker's, Cloud grudgingly got dolled up in dress, wig, and some cologne Aerith received as payment for a good deed. Zack couldn't help a surprised whistle.

"Hey, you actually make a pretty convincing girl, Cloud."

Aerith giggled. "You're so cute, Miss Cloud!"

Cloud couldn't very well glare at Aerith, so he settled for Zack. It was partially Zack's fault anyway for not taking the bust-down-the-doors suggestion.

Aerith ignored the silent I'm-still-male-thank-you-very-much and turned to the dressmaker's daughter. "Aaah, I want one. Do you have one that'll look good on me too?"

Father and daughter immediately started arguing over preferences, stopping only when Aerith grabbed a dress neither had even pointed at. She slipped into the dressing room. When she emerged her hair hung wild and loose behind her ribbon. Thin straps held up the clingy red material that started just above her breasts and flowed down to her ankles. A slit on the left side went up almost to hip level.

"So? How do I look?"

Cloud shrugged impassively, the answer she really wanted came from Zack. He still leaned casually against a wall, but his lower jaw hung loose near his collar bone and his eyes seemed about to pop right out of his head.

"Um. Uh. Wow," he finally stammered.

Aerith giggled teasingly. "Thought you'd like it. Here's hoping the Don has as good taste."

Zack snapped out of his revelry. "The Don. Right."

The last bit of preparation was to put all their normal clothing and gear in a bag that Zack would guard. He'd wait for them by the closed noodle cart while Cloud and Aerith looked for Tifa. If they weren't back in an hour he'd go in after them, forget subtle.

_Trying to recreate this part of the game isn't easy. What sense do all those step and fetch quests have outside of a video game? *sigh* Poor Cloud. Poor Zack. I totally agree, what is with Sector 6? It's like perversion central for Gaia. Maybe it comes from having a brothel in the neighborhood. (lol Dad suggested it's a quarantine zone, though if so, the quarantine isn't enforced very well.)_


	12. The Beast's Lair

_The oft forgotten disclaimer: I own diddly. Is this even necessary by now?_

**Chapter Twelve - The Beast's Lair**

Tseng nursed a headache. Most of his meetings with Reno involved some sort of strain on his temples, but this was promising to be a full-fledged migraine. Zack was alive and in Midgar. Not only that, but a couple of the idiots who had accompanied Reno had shot at him.

Speaking of idiots, Tseng thought that Zack had a bit more sense than to head straight for his girlfriend in the middle of enemy territory. He had to know this was enemy territory by now.

Certainly if the reports were true and he was working with AVALANCHE. Him and another SOLDIER, which was another reason for Tseng's headache. Zack hadn't been traveling with a SOLDIER, just a normal grunt. A normal grunt with mako poisoning so bad he couldn't even twitch on his own, let alone stand.

But Reno confirmed that Zack had a companion who wasn't a comatose trooper. The blond spiky hair and short stature fit the description, except this guy was standing and holding a sword like he had been born with one. They hadn't started training troopers in swordsmanship until a couple months before the Nibelheim incident.

Tseng sighed, trying to reapply his mask of stony indifference in case anyone should step into his office. It also helped him think clearly.

Zack's survival wasn't too surprising. Tseng had seen the SOLDIER in action more than once and knew that his rank was earned and then some. The problem was the trooper, Cloud Strife. He'd rather thoroughly failed the psychological part of the SOLDIER test, three times. Even if his body was capable of handling the treatments, and it was if his scores were anything to go by, his mind should have been in a thousand pieces and scattered to the four corners of the mansion underground.

That wasn't even taking into consideration the trauma that had led up to those treatments, not to mention what else Hojo might have subjected them to in that torture chamber he called a lab.

Tseng took a deep breath and willed himself not to feel guilty about it. He was only doing his duty as a Turk. At least his actions meant they were alive.

But still, watching your home burn to the ground, your family killed, all by a man who the world considered a hero, would've been enough to break most men. Strife broke in such a way that he tried to attack Sephiroth. And won, even if only because Sephiroth jumped into the reactor.

That part of the report never did quite make sense to Tseng. But neither did the idea that a sixteen-year-old grunt had managed to defeat the greatest SOLDIER of all time.

And then proceeded to not only survive Hojo's infamous test-to-destruction for four straight years but recover less than a year after that. Something was not normal about this Cloud Strife. Tseng had a nagging suspicion that there was some error in the test. Someone with almost zero sense of self-worth didn't take the SOLDIER exams three times.

Unless he was trying to find self-worth.

Tseng picked up his tea, leaned back, and let the vapors relax his face into an expression of real calm. He would have to deal with the mystery and possible threat of Zack and Cloud later. Now he was going to settle his nerves before dealing with whatever had the President frothing at the mouth. It would undoubtedly be troublesome and slightly irrational. Especially since it also involved Heidegger. Ever since taking over the Turks from Velde, that bulbous hyena had reduced them to glorified errand boys. Another sigh. Tseng would need all the tea-fueled calm he could get.

*7*7*

Cloud kept his eyes down the entire time they were in the gilded foyer of the mansion. He hoped it looked demure but the real reason was that he didn't want the guys in black suits to see the murderous glare he felt building. Never mind the mako glow that might not even be noticeable with all the reflected light in the room.

Once left to their own devices, though with a warning not to go anywhere, he and Aerith started searching for Tifa. She wasn't hard to find. An open door leading down to a dungeon right out of a horror movie was almost too obvious.

And there stood Tifa in a blue mini skirt and a top that would have covered her entire chest if not for the diamond-shaped window that showed off her cleavage.

Cloud ducked into the shadows near the stairs and hoped the blush building in his face didn't actually glow. Also wishing he could have saved her wearing anything but a pink and purple dress. Preferably something involving pants.

Aerith was a lot more bold. She could afford to be. Whatever she and Tifa talked about was lost to Cloud while he willed the shadows to swallow him whole. His mind didn't register anything until a familiar voice called his name, summoning him into the dim green light.

Tifa jumped back. "Cloud? Why are you dressed like that! And what are you doing here! Forget that, what happened to you after the fall! Are you hurt! Where's Zack?"

"Hey! I, huh, I'm dressed like this because it was the only way to get in here." Cloud felt embarrassment slowly turn to panic, though he didn't know why. "And... I'm fine. Aerith and Zack helped."

"Oh."

"Tifa. What are you doing here?"

Tifa suddenly looked very nervous. "Yeah, ummmm..."

Aerith rolled her eyes. "I'll just plug my ears." She stepped a few feet away for good measure.

Tifa shifted so her face fell mostly into shadow. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks... What happened?"

"When we got back from the Number 5 reactor, there was this weird man. So Barret caught him and squeezed some information out of him."

Cloud could imagine. "So, the Don..."

"Yeah. His name came up. Barret told me to leave the lech alone... but something's bothering me."

"You should have waited. This is dangerous."

Tifa's head snapped up. "I know it's dangerous. But I have to find out what Corneo's connection to ShinRa is. The only thing is... I'm kind of in a bind." Her tone started to fall again. "Corneo is looking for a bride. Everyday, he gets three girls, chooses one of them, and then... and, well..."

Cloud could guess, the image revolted him.

"Anyway, I have to be the girl... or I'm out for tonight."

"You can't." Cloud was finding it increasingly hard to not hunt down Corneo and do something crudely surgical to certain body parts.

"Sorry," a soft voice said behind him. It was Aerith. "I over heard. If you know the three girls there's no problem, right?"

Tifa didn't look certain. "I guess so, but..."

"No!" Cloud whipped around to face Aerith. "You can't get more involved." He didn't want to think of what Zack would do if he let something happen to her.

"Oh? So it's all right for Tifa to be in danger?"

"N-no. I don't want Tifa in ..."

Tifa interrupted. "Is it all right?"

Aerith shrugged. "I grew up in the slums. I'm used to danger." She smiled at Tifa. "Do you trust me?"

Cloud sighed. They weren't going to listen to him.

Tifa nodded. "Yes. Thanks, Ms. Aerith."

"Call me Aerith."

"HEY!" One of the black suits stood at the top of the stairs. "It's time, ladies. The Don is waiting!" He left muttering something vaguely sexist.

Cloud cleared his throat, hoping it would clear his mind before speaking. It didn't work too well. "The other girl... that's me?"

Aerith and Tifa shared a conspiratorial look that froze Cloud to his bones. Before he knew it he was standing in the Don's office between Tifa and Aerith.

Don Corneo was as disgusting as his office was gilded. Cloud had no idea so much gold even existed and was fairly certain most of it was fake. The blubber Corneo was swathed in was all too real as he jiggled it giddily at seeing the three women. Well, two women and a reluctant cross-dresser. Cloud resisted the urge to hurl as Corneo eyed him with all the wrong kinds of interest.

"Woo-hoo," Corneo hooted, jumping up. "I've made up my mind! My choice for tonight is..."

Cloud felt a wash of fear flow from the crown of his head.

"This little beauty!"

Fear turned to near blinding terror and rage. Corneo was pointing at Tifa. It was all Cloud could do to resist tackling the blotted mob boss. The thought of actually touching that thing helped. How he wished he had a sword.

The next words that registered were Corneo's. "You can have the other ones!"

Cloud did not like the sound of that.

He liked the room full of leering flunkies even less. He couldn't possibly be that convincing as a woman, could he?

Then, oh lord, the pick up lines. Even if he was really a woman he was certain he'd be repulsed. And the groping hands. It was all he could do to dodge and fight down the urge to bash heads together.

One flunky managed a brush against Cloud's arm. "Hey... you're in pretty good shape. Lookit your tight little bod... It's more like... muscles..."

Well, somebody noticed. If one more sex-crazed maniac...

The flunky who had led him in, Scotch, slid next to Cloud. "Hey... what's wrong? You want me to keep you company?"

That tore it. Still affecting a somewhat squeaky imitation of a female voice, Cloud answered, "I'm flattered, but no thanks. Because..."

Eyebrows went up. "Because?"

"Because..." Cloud dropped the act, jumped over the heads of the leering mob, and ripped the skirt revealing dark blue boxers. "I ain't INTERESTED in a buncha scrubs like you!"

The shock on the flunkies' faces made Cloud smirk. Payback.

More payback came when the idiots tried to attack him. The ones with guns went down with a bit more blood on their faces. Cloud had to remember how much stronger he was now.

Cloud ran out of the flunky sitting room and heard Aerith scream. Protective instincts kicked in and he ran down the stairs back into the dungeon. Another one of Corneo's men was chasing Aerith around a table with a disturbing outline of a human being on it. Before Cloud could do much more than survey the scene Aerith made a dash for the stairs.

The flunky followed. Again, Cloud prepared to fight, but Aerith spun around and kicked the flunky right between the legs. With a groan, he tumbled back down the stone stairs.

"I'm so sorry!" Aerith called after the prone flunkey.

"Aerith!"

She turned back to face Cloud. He finally started to notice that she was quite attractive. Shaking his head, he tried to banish that thought. She was Zack's girlfriend.

Instead he focused on something else. "We better save Tifa."

"Of course!" Aerith glanced down. "Um. Cloud?"

Cloud looked down and turned red.

*7*7*

Tifa despised that man. She'd like nothing better than to punch him in the face and run, never to return. But she had a mission to complete.

The Don seemed unconcerned with her hesitance. He crawled toward her on his bed. "Come, come, don't be so shy..."

_Disgusting._ "I know... But you know, Don Corneo, I'd like you to explain something before we start..."

He looked perplexed for a moment before a faint light of realization dawned. "Hm? Oh, you mean about THAT? Don't worry. I'm single. There, feel better now?" He got up to his knees and started gyrating.

_EW!_ "No... I'm not asking about that..." Tifa's eyes widened as they glanced almost involuntarily at a spot below his belt. "Wa... wait a minute! No, not yet!"

Tifa's obvious horror only seemed to excite Corneo more. "Come! Come! Aooooooh! I can't wait any longer! Here comes papa!"

CRASH!

"Cloud!"

Cloud apparently hadn't bothered trying the doorknob, preferring a shoulder applied at high velocity. Tifa jumped toward him, avoiding an embrace of blubber.

Corneo looked up from where he'd managed to plant his face in the bed covers. Before him stood his chosen bride, one of the other girls, and a very angry young man wearing what seemed to be the tattered remains of a purple dress and an ill-fitting pair of black trousers.

"Wha... what the hell? Who goes there?"

"You still don't get it do you, Don Corneo?" Tifa said, glaring at him.

"Get what?"

"Shut up, we're asking the questions now." Tifa stalked back around to the side of the bed, followed by Cloud and Aerith. "What did your assistants find out? Talk! If you don't tell us..."

Cloud glared unholy death down at Corneo's quivering form. "I'll rip them off."

"No! Not that! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"

Tifa crossed her arms. "So... talk."

"I made 'em find out where the man with the gun-arm was. But that's what I was ordered to do."

"By who?" Tifa leaned forward slightly, menacingly.

"No-! If I told you that, I'd be killed!" He started sweating so much he looked like he might melt.

"Talk! If you don't tell us," Tifa flexed her right hand, "I'll crush them."

Corneo started crying at that moment. "It was Heidegger of ShinRa! Heidegger, the head of Public Safety Maintenance!"

"The head of Public Safety Maintenance?" Cloud frowned harder. He felt like he should know who that was, but again that information was hidden in the fog.

"Did you say ShinRa!" _I knew it!_ "What are they up to! Talk! If you don't tell us..."

Aerith put a foot down between Corneo's quaking legs. "I'll stomp on them."

"You're serious, aren't you? ohboy, ohboy, ohboy." Corneo's hand shook as he took out a handkerchief and dabbed his forehead. "I'm not fooling around here either, you know. ShinRa's trying to crush a small rebel group called AVALANCHE, and want to infiltrate their they're really going to crush them... literally. By breaking the support holding up the plate above them."

Tifa stepped away from the bed. "Break the support!"

Corneo nodded. "You know what's going to happen? The plate'll go PING and everything's gonna go BAMMM! I heard their hideout's in the Sector 7 slums. I'm just glad it's not here in Sector 6."

"They're going to wipe out the Sector 7 slums!" Tifa's voice squeaked in spots, as if it was about to fail. She turned to Cloud. "You'll come, won't you?"

Cloud nodded. "Of course."

They almost reached the door when Corneo called after them. "Just a second!"

"Shut up!" Cloud glared at Corneo.

"No wait, it'll only take a second. How do you think scum like me feels when they babble on about the truth? I'll give you three guesses."

"I don't care."

Corneo's face suddenly looked serious. "You should." He pulled down on one of the bed posts.

The last thing Cloud thought before darkness took him was, _I failed. Again._

* * *

_And that's it for the cross-dressing! Whoo-hoo! Was anyone else thoroughly disgusted by Don Corneo while playing? Ugh. Anyway, I'm trying to include other points of view besides that of our heroes. It might make the fic a bit longer, but I think these extras are important._

_P.S. Next chapter is an alternate version of the last 3/4ths of this chapter specifically for those fans who just have to make Cloud suffer, both in game and out._


	13. Christmas Present To My Readers

**Alternate Chapter Twelve - Because Fans Love Seeing Cloud Squirm**

Cloud kept his eyes down the entire time they were in the gilded foyer of the mansion. He hoped it looked demure but the real reason was that he didn't want the guys in black suits to see the murderous glare he felt building. Never mind the mako glow that might not even be noticeable with all the reflected light in the room.

Once left to their own devices, though with a warning not to go anywhere, he and Aerith started searching for Tifa. She wasn't hard to find. An open door leading down to a dungeon right out of a horror movie was almost too obvious.

And there stood Tifa in a blue mini skirt and a top that would have covered her entire chest if not for the diamond-shaped window that showed off her cleavage.

Cloud ducked into the shadows near the stairs and hoped the blush building in his face didn't actually glow. Also wishing he could have saved her wearing anything but a pink and purple dress. Preferably something involving pants.

Aerith was a lot more bold. She could afford to be. Whatever she and Tifa talked about was lost to Cloud while he willed the shadows to swallow him whole. His mind didn't register anything until a familiar voice called his name, summoning him into the dim green light.

Tifa jumped back. "Cloud? Why are you dressed like that! And what are you doing here! Forget that, what happened to you after the fall! Are you hurt! Where's Zack?"

"Hey! I, huh, I'm dressed like this because it was the only way to get in here." Cloud felt embarrassment slowly turn to panic, though he didn't know why. "And... I'm fine. Aerith and Zack helped."

"Oh."

"Tifa. What are you doing here?"

Tifa suddenly looked very nervous. "Yeah, ummmm..."

Aerith rolled her eyes. "I'll just plug my ears." She stepped a few feet away for good measure.

Tifa shifted so her face fell mostly into shadow. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Thanks... What happened?"

"When we got back from the Number 5 reactor, there was this weird man. So Barret caught him and squeezed some information out of him."

Cloud could imagine. "So, the Don..."

"Yeah. His name came up. Barret told me to leave the lech alone... but something's bothering me."

"You should have waited. This is dangerous."

Tifa's head snapped up. "I know it's dangerous. But I have to find out what Corneo's connection to ShinRa is. The only thing is... I'm kind of in a bind." Her tone started to fall again. "Corneo is looking for a bride. Everyday, he gets three girls, chooses one of them, and then... and, well..."

Cloud could guess, the image revolted him.

"Anyway, I have to be the girl... or I'm out for tonight."

"You can't." Cloud was finding it increasingly hard to not hunt down Corneo and do something crudely surgical to certain body parts.

"Sorry," a soft voice said behind him. It was Aerith. "I over heard. If you know the three girls there's no problem, right?"

Tifa didn't look certain. "I guess so, but..."

"No!" Cloud whipped around to face Aerith. "You can get more involved." He didn't want to think of what Zack would do if he let something happen to her.

"Oh? So it's all right for Tifa to be in danger?"

"N-no. I don't want Tifa in ..."

Tifa interrupted. "Is it all right?"

Aerith shrugged. "I grew up in the slums. I'm used to danger." She smiled at Tifa. "Do you trust me?"

Cloud sighed. They weren't going to listen to him.

Tifa nodded. "Yes. Thanks, Ms. Aerith."

"Call me Aerith."

"HEY!" One of the black suits stood at the top of the stairs. "It's time, ladies. The Don is waiting!" He left muttering something vaguely sexist.

Cloud cleared his throat, hoping it would clear his mind before speaking. It didn't work too well. "The other girl... that's me?"

Aerith and Tifa shared a conspiratorial look that froze Cloud to his bones. Before he knew it he was standing in the Don's office between Tifa and Aerith.

Don Corneo was as disgusting as his office was gilded. Cloud had no idea so much gold even existed and was fairly certain most of it was fake. The blubber Corneo was swathed in was all too real as he jiggled it giddily at seeing the three women. Well, two women and a reluctant cross-dresser. Cloud resisted the urge to hurl as Corneo eyed him with all the wrong kinds of interest.

"Woo-hoo," Corneo hooted, jumping up. "I've made up my mind! My choice for tonight is..."

Cloud felt a wash of fear flow from the crown of his head.

"This healthy-looking girl!"

No way. Cloud looked at Corneo's finger, then at Tifa, then at Aerith. There was no way Corneo was pointing at him.

Except, he was.

"Wa, wait a sec!" Oops, wrong voice. "I mean, uh, please wait a moment!" His cover had to be blown. Not that he'd mind, it took every ounce of will power Cloud had not to bolt from the room. If his cover was blown then he could justify making a run for it.

No such luck. "Woo-hoo! I love chickies who play hard to get! Yeowza!"

This could not be happening.

"You can have the other ones!"

"Yes, sir! Thank you sir!"

No. Nononononono. Cloud looked to Tifa and Aerith again. He couldn't leave Tifa and Aerith like this. But Aerith just smiled and nodded as if trying to reassure him. Tifa looked a bit more nervous, but she, too, motioned for him to go.

Corneo leered at Cloud. "Well then, shall we go my pretty?"

Head bowed, Cloud trudged into the excessively opulent bed chamber. What what he doing? He was fairly sure Tifa could take care of herself, but it was his job to protect her! And what about Aerith? He was supposed to protect her, too. Zack was counting on him.

Awareness of his surroundings returned just in time for him to realize that he was standing at the edge of Corneo's bed. And that Corneo was way too close for comfort.

"You're so cute, I never get tired of looking at you." Corneo leaned closer. "Do you like me, too?"

All semblance of coherent thought fled Cloud's mind, followed swiftly by fine motor control. "Umm..."

Corneo made an attempt at looking like a kicked puppy. The effect was more revolting than anything. "You don't like me? There isn't someone else, is there?"

_Yes! No. Must find her. Too close. She's counting on me. Cologne stinks. Get information._

All Cloud managed to stammer out was, "N-no."

This set Corneo into another fit of jiggling. "You sure do know how to make a guy feel good!" He leaned forward almost to the point of touching noses with Cloud. "Then wh... what do you want to DO?"

How could this guy still think Cloud was a woman! Cloud's first instinct was to punch in Corneo's face, but he was still having difficulty moving.

He also had to get information out of Corneo. How? He'd never interrogated someone before. Wasn't there something about making the person feel comfortable?

Not that Corneo could get much more comfortable.

Cloud swallowed hard. "Whatever you want?"

Corneo hopped on the bed like a frog. "Give me a kiss! A KISS!"

A hole. Sudden death. Waking up to find this was all a horrible dream. Anything. Anything at all to keep that mouth off of him.

"J-just a minute!"

BANG!

Tifa and Aerith ran into the room to see Corneo puckered up within an inch of Cloud's face, which, in turn, was nearly the same shade of red as the walls.

"Cloud..." Tifa said. "Were you really..."

Cloud shook his head and bolted for the girls. He felt sick, feeling like he'd just been rescued. How was he supposed to protect anyone like this?

The least he could to for what was left of his pride was get out of that accursed dress. One problem, he only had boxers on underneath.

As if reading his mind, Tifa held out a pair of trousers that she obviously had taken from one of Corneo's flunkies.

Cloud ducked behind the door just as Corneo found his voice. "What's goin' on? Somebody get in here NOW!"

"No one'll be coming to help," Tifa said, voice cold.

"Wha... what the hell?" Corneo's eyes darted between the two women in front of him and the doorway, where it sounded like someone was ripping fabric.

"Shut up, we're asking the questions now." Tifa stalked around to the side of the bed, followed by Aerith. "What did your assistants find out? Talk! If you don't tell us..."

"I'll rip them off." Cloud appeared in the doorway, wearing the trousers and with the skirt and sleeves of the dress torn away. He strode passed Tifa and Aerith, putting himself between them and Corneo. He folded his arms across his chest, now freed of the stuffing that had simulated breasts.

Corneo's jaw unhinged. "No! Not that! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"

Tifa crossed her arms. "So... talk."

"I made 'em find out where the man with the gun-arm was. But that's what I was ordered to do."

"By who?" Tifa leaned forward slightly, menacingly.

"No-! If I told you that, I'd be killed!" He started sweating so much he looked like he might melt.

"Talk! If you don't tell us," Tifa flexed her right hand, "I'll crush them."

Corneo started crying at that moment. "It was Heidegger of ShinRa! Heidegger, the head of Public Safety Maintenance!"

"The head of Public Safety Maintenance?" Cloud frowned harder. He felt like he should know who that was, but again that information was hidden in the fog.

"Did you say ShinRa!" _I knew it!_ "What are they up to! Talk! If you don't tell us..."

Aerith put a foot down between Corneo's quaking legs. "I'll stomp on them."

"You're serious, aren't you? ohboy, ohboy, ohboy." Corneo's hand shook as he took out a handkerchief and dabbed his forehead. "I'm not fooling around here either, you know. ShinRa's trying to crush a small rebel group called AVALANCHE, and want to infiltrate their they're really going to crush them... literally. By breaking the support holding up the plate above them."

Tifa stepped away from the bed. "Break the support!"

Corneo nodded. "You know what's going to happen? The plate'll go PING and everything's gonna go BAMMM! I heard their hideout's in the Sector 7 slums. I'm just glad it's not here in Sector 6."

"They're going to wipe out the Sector 7 slums!" Tifa's voice squeaked in spots, as if it was about to fail. She turned to Cloud. "You'll come, won't you?"

Cloud nodded. "Of course."

They almost reached the door when Corneo called after them. "Just a second!"

"Shut up!" Cloud glared at Corneo.

"No wait, it'll only take a second. How do you think scum like me feels when they babble on about the truth? I'll give you three guesses."

"I don't care."

Corneo's face suddenly looked serious. "You should." He pulled down on one of the bed posts.

The last thing Cloud thought before darkness took him was, _I failed. Again.

* * *

_

_Because people seem to really like the idea of Cloud having his manhood ripped into tiny pieces and stomped on, I have put together this alternative to the actual Chapter Twelve. Consider it a Christmas present._

_Congratulations! We have collectively taken 10 years off Cloud's life!_


	14. Sector 7

_Honestly, maybe I should just make the official update time Saturday since I seem to have such a hard time updating on Friday. Made worse right now given that it's the holidays so just remember what day of the week it is can be hard.

* * *

_

**Chapter Thirteen - Sector 7**

There were times Reeve Tuesti truly questioned his position in ShinRa. This was one of them. In fact, anything involving Heidegger usually made his skin crawl.

Both Reeve and Heidegger stood before President Shinra's desk. The President leaned back in his chair, fingers laced over the broad expanse of his stomach.

"How are the preparations going?"

Reeve winced as Heidegger started his horse laugh. "Smoothly, very smoothly! I assigned the Turks to this."

"President!" Reeve couldn't stay silent. "Are we really going to do this? Just to destroy a group with only a few members..."

The President frowned. "What's the problem, Reeve? You want out?"

"...No." People in his position trying to quit ShinRa didn't give two-week notices. They just vanished. The lucky ones made themselves vanish. "But, as head of the Urban Development Department, I have been involved in the building and running of Midgar. That's why..."

Heidegger interrupted. "Reeve, you should flush those personal problems in the morning!"

_Psychopath._ "The Mayor's against this anyway..."

"Mayor?" Heidegger shrugged. "He just sits in his office all day feeding his face! You still call that a mayor?" He turned to salute the President. "Now if you'll excuse me, sir!"

Reeve reached out a hand as if to stop Heidegger from leaving, but hesitated.

Once Heidegger disappeared down the stairs the President spoke. "You're tired. Why don't you take a couple of days off and go somewhere."

_What are you implying, sir?_ Reeve didn't dare voice his concerns. Instead he just followed Heidegger's lead and left the room.

*7*7*

_I failed._

_You only fail if you give up. Are you giving up?_

Cloud shook his head. Water and glops of some substance he didn't want to identify flew from his spiky hair. He looked rather like a damp, cranky chocobo.

His eyes fell on Tifa's still form and the cranky morphed instantly to concern. "Tifa!"

Tifa moaned as she propped herself up on one elbow. Her other hand rubbed her head. "Man. This is terrible."

Cloud helped Tifa stand then noticed Aerith sit up a little distance away. He also took note that they seemed to be in an unusually large sewer. Shadows obscured most of the area but just behind Aerith...

Aerith tried to smile as she got to her feet. "Well, the worst is over..." The look on Cloud's face and the organic rumble behind her made her trail off. "Maybe not..."

The wave of lumpy sewer water washed over them, knocking them to their backs. Almost as a reflex Cloud reached for his sword, only to realize he didn't have it. The twisted monster before them roared. Chains dangling from shackles on its wrists whipped about, threatening to pummel soft body parts.

Before Cloud could think of something else to use as a weapon, Tifa ran passed him.

"Tifa! Don't!"

Too late. Tifa jumped into a kick, burying a spiked heel into the creature's arm. Roaring, it flung her against a wall, her shoe still stuck in its flesh.

"TIFA!" Cloud ran forward, punching, kicking, anything he could think of. It felt like he was pummeling a wall covered in truck tires.

Then wet stinging covered his body and he realized the monster was licking him. He tried to grab its tongue, but pain shot through his hands and up into his brain.

The monster gurgled and another wave of sewer water washed them back against the wall.

_I won't give up._

Cloud looked at Tifa as she tried to stand. She glared at her remaining shoe and tossed it at the monster. Aerith sat nearby, dazed. Both seemed covered in cuts and bruises. Cloud's head hurt. He cursed his helplessness.

_I won't give up!_

His hand curled around something cylindrical. A metal pipe? It would have to do. Screaming at the top of his lungs he lunged at the monster.

It screamed as rusted metal pierced the skin of its abdomen. Clawing furiously, it pulled Cloud away and threw him into the floor.

Something deep inside Cloud popped. It felt warm as it coursed through his body. He stood up, still badly injured but not in nearly as much pain. He gripped the pipe like a sword, faint blue flames licking its surface.

The monster aimed another swing at Cloud, except he wasn't there anymore. Blue flashed above the monster's head as Cloud swung down. The pipe bent around the monster's skull, sharp edges digging into flesh. Cloud forced its head down. Lifting the mutilated pipe again he stabbed through one of the monster's eyes, straight into its brain.

A shudder, a roar, and then the monster lay still.

Cloud had to force himself to take deep breaths, even though the air in the sewers smelled even worse than the slums. He turned back and saw that Aerith and Tifa were both standing. Aerith seemed awed, or perhaps frightened. Tifa looked like she was about to burst into tears.

"It's too late," Tifa sobbed. "Marlene... Barret... the people of the slums."

Aerith snapped out of whatever feeling she had to turn to Tifa. "Don't give up, never give up hope. It's not easy to destroy the pillar, right?"

"Yeah... you're right! We still have time." Tifa forced a smile that even Cloud could see was masking despair.

He couldn't stand to see that in her face. "We can't give up. Come on." He grabbed another metal pipe and led them through the sewers.

*7*7*

Zack did not have boundless patience. Boundless energy, yes, patience, no.

_What's taking so long?_ He finished a set of squats and checked the clock on his handset again. Why had he agreed to wait an hour?

A noise from the mansion drew his attention. Something had called the guard outside back in. Zack frowned. There was still a little over half an hour left. Then again, it looked like trouble was brewing.

He couldn't wait any longer, anyway.

Slinging the bag of clothes and weapons over his shoulder, he ran for the mansion door.

Locked. Duh.

He removed the bag and drew his sword. One swing and the doors exploded inward, wood and glitter scattered across the foyer.

One look said that it had been a bad day to be one of Corneo's flunkies. The only one apparently free of physical injury and was Corneo himself, and from the amount of sweat staining his clothes he had just barely come out unscathed.

Zack grinned at the eyes staring at him from the balcony. He'd apparently interrupted a verbal beating to match the physical one.

"Hey," Zack said, shouldering his sword, "I'm looking for some friends of mine. My guess is you've seen them."

Faces paled. That would be a yes.

"So, where are they?" Zack's eyes narrowed.

The flunkies fled. Corneo would have, too, except suddenly Zack was standing right there holding him in place by one sweat-soaked lapel.

"Don't kill me! Don't kill me!"

"I'll consider it, if you answer my question."

"Ohboy, ohboy, ohboy. Th-they left. I have no idea where they are."

"You're lying." Zack's grip tightened as Corneo felt his feet start to leave the floor.

"They're in the sewer! The sewer! Please let me go!"

"How do I get to the sewers." Zack was almost growling at this point.

Corneo whimpered. "Downstairs, through the kitchen there's a set of stairs leading to a secret panel. But it'll do you no good. Your friends are food for my Aps by now."

He'd barely finished that last sentence when Zack dropped him and vaulted over the edge of the balcony. Quickly, he grabbed the bag and ran, following Corneo's directions. He could only hope everyone was still alive.

*7*7*

Two discarded blue dress shoes, a lot of disrupted sewage debris, and, most telling of all, the body of what must've been the Aps with a long metal pipe sticking out of one eye.

Zack couldn't help but let out a low whistle at the destruction wrecked on the monster. It had no idea what it tried to make a meal out of.

The trail was pretty easy to follow. Some damp footprints here, a little blood there, a scattering of turtle-like sahagin or crab-like ceasar carcasses somewhere else. Zack was impressed at the destruction Cloud managed to wreck on the monsters. Correction, Cloud and Tifa if the size of some of the fist marks was any indication. Looked like Aerith might have tried to lend a hand, as well.

_I'm starting to feel kinda redundant here._

He still worried, though. Some of the blood he found couldn't have come from the monsters.

Up a ladder and he found himself in the middle of the train graveyard. Now he could tell he was getting closer. From beyond the wrecked train cars he could hear the sounds of something getting its tail kicked.

Two hops over collapsing roofs and Zack had to duck a flying cripshay horn. Below, Cloud and Tifa finished off the last attacker as Aerith guarded what seemed to be an old crate of potions.

"Hey! What's the big idea taking all the fun?"

Aerith looked up as Zack jumped down beside her. "Zack! How did you find us?"

"You have to ask with the path of destruction these two left?" He jabbed a thumb at Cloud and Tifa. "Now how about an update while everyone heals up and changes?"

Aerith and especially Cloud were more than happy to get their regular clothes back. And weapons. Cloud felt a lot better with his sword and rifle.

Zack frowned at the information they gathered. "I knew ShinRa was corrupt but wiping out an entire sector?" He shook his head. "You're right. ShinRa is going down, hard."

"First we have to stop them from dropping the plate," Tifa said as she pulled on Cloud's boots. He'd insisted that he would rather go barefoot than leave her without part of her arsenal.

"Yeah. So is everyone ready?"

A set of somber nods and they were off.

Soon they turned a corner and they knew something was wrong. People generally didn't mill around the gate leading to the plate support tower. But it was still standing.

Tifa almost collapsed in relief. "We made it! The pillar's standing!"

Cloud and Zack looked up.

"Hang on," Zack said. "You hear that?"

Gunfire. As they looked up something flashed and fell from the topmost platform. Aerith screamed as it fell closer.

A human body. Not just any human body.

Cloud ran to help their fallen companion. "Wedge! You all right!"

Wedge coughed. "You... remembered... my name." He winced, whatever movement he'd attempted halted by the damage to his body. "Barret's up top. ...help him... Sorry, I wasn't any help."

Cloud looked up at Zack, who shook his head. All the phoenix down and potions in the world wouldn't help someone in this shape.

Zack gripped the hilt of the Buster sword. "We better hurry. Aerith, you should get somewhere safe."

"Aerith, do me a favor," Tifa said, wiping tears from her eyes. "I have a bar called '7th Heaven' in this neighborhood. There's a little girl named Marlene there."

Aerith nodded. "Don't worry. I'll put her somewhere safe."

Trusting Aerith's word, Tifa turned to the crowd. "It's dangerous here! Everyone get away from the pillar, quickly! Everyone get out of Sector 7!"

Most of the crowd scattered as the three remaining fighters rushed to the pillar. They couldn't do anything about the ones who remained, murmuring in disbelief.

"Biggs!" Tifa ran passed Cloud and Zack to help the man leaned over the railing.

"Tifa?" Biggs managed to lift his head slightly. "Hey, the ex-SOLDIERs. Wondered... what happened to you. Barret's fighting... go help him."

"What about you?" Cloud asked.

Biggs let out a weak laugh. "Never figured... you'd be worried. Don't be... Go."

Zack's face darkened. He could see the man needed more than just a potion and they didn't have any phoenix down with them. One more person he couldn't save. He could only guess Cloud felt the same way.

"It was good knowing you, Biggs," Zack said. "If we get out of this I'll buy you a round."

"I'll ... hold you... to that."

Those were the final words they heard from Biggs as they continued their race up the pillar.

The humanoid robots (hopefully they were robots) with propeller hands were definitely new since the Nibelheim incident. Zack couldn't understand what ShinRa was thinking in terms of security. They were almost pathetic, only posing a real threat if someone had almost no combat experience.

Someone like Jessie. She smiled as she lay bleeding on the stairway. "Cloud... I'm glad... I could talk with you one last time."

Cloud shook his head. This was too much. Far too much. "Don't say last."

Tifa started to cry as Jessie closed her eyes. "That's... all right..." Jessie struggled to breath. "Because of our actions... many... people died... this probably... is our punishment..."

When she stopped moving, Zack checked for a pulse and hung his head. He managed to save Cloud, but was it possible he couldn't save anyone else?

No. He had to keep trying. "Let's go."

Tifa had to stop for breath when they reached the top. Cloud and Zack kept running to where Barret stood shooting at a circling helicopter. Breath finally caught, Tifa hurried to catch up.

Barret looked over his shoulder and almost smiled. "Tifa! Cloud! Zack! You came!" He turned back to shooting. "Be careful! They're attacking from the helicopter."

"I can see that." Zack drew his sword.

Cloud took aim at a trooper trying to jump down to the platform. One shot and the trooper fell silently to the ground far below. Cloud muttered a curse as he manually ejected the shell casing. The older models had a ridiculously long reload time.

"Here they come!" Tifa shouted.

The helicopter buzzed the platform as Reno jumped down. He tapped his glorified nightstick, an electro-mag rod, against his shoulder as his other hand moved over a control panel. "You're too late. Once I push this button..." Beep. "That's all, folks! Mission accomplished." He smirked and started to twirl his rod in his left hand.

"You dirty-" Zack didn't finish his statement, letting his sword speak for him.

Reno just barely jumped out of the way. "Whoa! Easy there! You do know this place is going to blow in a few minutes, right?"

Tifa shouted behind him. "We have to disarm it! Cloud! Barret! Please!"

"Hey, I can't have you doing that." Reno tried to step forward but Zack blocked his path. "You're a real persistent guy."

"Disarm the bomb."

Reno laughed. "Bomb? That's the emergency plate release system. It's built into the plate. Besides, even if I wanted to, I can't stop it. Only a ShinRa executive could do that, and you can guess how likely that is."

From the blanched faces before him, Reno knew they guessed correctly. He gave the group a mock salute and ran for the railing. "Well, this was fun but I like being 3D." With that he jumped.

The move looked suicidal until a black helicopter rose from Reno's line of falling. Tseng stood in the open doorway.

Zack frowned. The last time he'd seen Tseng the man had his hair in a nearly immaculate ponytail. Now the rest of his uniform was spotless as usual, but his hair fell loose and slightly wind swept about his shoulders. He might be mistaking it, but Tseng even looked a bit sad.

"Trying to disarm the device would only result in the plate falling sooner," Tseng said. "It's in your best interests to leave the sector, though I doubt you have time."

"Like hell!" Barret bellowed, spewing machine gun fire at the helicopter. Between the angle and blind rage his aim was horrible. Cloud lifted his rifle up to take a shot but a sudden flash of pink stopped him dead.

Tseng was speaking. "I wouldn't try that... You just might make me injure our special guest."

Tifa gasped. "Aerith!"

Zack nearly popped a blood vessel trying not to lunge straight at Tseng. He'd trusted the man! He'd left Aerith under his protection!

Tseng merely nodded. He almost seemed to avoid eye contact with Zack.

He couldn't take it. "What are you gonna do with Aerith?"

"That's not my decision to make." Tseng definitely sounded sad under that careful monotone. "Our orders were to find and catch the last remaining Ancient. The rest is up to the President and Professor Hojo."

Zack's blood was boiling to the point where he almost lost track of his surroundings. Cloud scowled even as the blood seemed to drain from his face.

Aerith leaned forward as far as she dared. "Tifa, don't worry! She's all right!"

Zack started to run when he saw Tseng shove Aerith back inside the helicopter. Reason took over just in time to realize that attacking Tseng at that moment would most likely get Aerith killed as well.

Tseng turned back to what was left of AVALANCHE. This time he did look at Zack. "There's not much time. A long over-due present for your final moments." He tossed a black box across the gap. It slid and skittered to a stop near Zack's feet. A white CONFIDENTIAL tape sealed it.

Sheathing his sword, Zack bent to pick up the box. Above him Tseng's helicopter flew to safety. Around him his friends, plus Barret, tried to find a way down that didn't involve certain death. He was vaguely aware of explosions high above.

Zack's focus snapped back when he heard Barret bellow something halfway hopeful. "Yo, we can use this wire to get out!"

All four of them on that one cable? Like they had a choice. Zack shoved the box down his shirt and grabbed on. As they fell Zack promised himself that he'd buy Barret a couple tons of deodorant the first chance he got.

* * *

_Ah. I hope I'm doing all right with the mix of original dialog and the stuff I made up. It's not always easy considering how awkward the translation is. It becomes especially apparent with Reno, I think. I tried to make him more like he was intended, the way he is in Advent Children, but it's kinda hard. Hope it all works._


	15. Survival

Do not own, blah, blah, blah...

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen - Survival**

Tseng settled into one of the rear seats of the helicopter, valiantly trying to ignore the scathing glare of betrayal emanating from his charge. He hadn't remembered Aerith having quite this much fire in her. Zack must have been more of an influence than he thought.

Zack. Tseng suppressed a sigh. There was no chance anyone could get from the pillar to safety in the allowed time. Yet Zack and Cloud seemed to have a track record of beating the odds. Especially Cloud. If only one of them escaped...

No. He would not allow himself to have treasonous thoughts about ShinRa. Even if it had become more tempting over the years. The near extermination of the Turks, twice, by the President's order. Being ordered to kill Velde. Heidegger taking over control of their department. Then the faked 'retirement' of the rest of the Turks, including Velde. That part, in a way, hurt the most. The Turks were family, most of them had nothing else. Tseng hoped they were happy wherever they were.

"Man," Reno said, stretching and draping himself even more loosely over the co-pilot seat. "Talk about persistence. Gotta give them points for that, if nothing else."

Tseng barely graced that statement with a nod he knew Reno couldn't see. While he'd never admit it to anyone, even his fellow Turks who he was sure felt the same way, his loyalties no longer lay primarily with the company. His loyalty lay with the man who was responsible for his Turks, his family, having this chance to live, even if technically speaking this man had once ordered them killed, too. Rufus Shinra was certainly more mentally stable than his old man. In the privacy of his own mind he prayed to the Wutanese gods of his ancestors that the current President would hurry up and jump off a balcony.

Maybe if Zack actually listened to his warnings, and survived, that day might come a bit sooner. At least he got to deliver some long over-due mail.

*7*7*

The first thing Cloud became aware of as he regained consciousness was that his head hurt. Soon after he became aware of one reason why his head hurt. Barret was bellowing the names of their fallen companions. With a gut wrenching scream he switched to his daughter's name. Then back to those fallen in battle, punctuated by machine gun fire.

Cloud sat up. Zack sat nearby, fingering a black box Cloud vaguely recognized as the one Tseng had tossed to him. Tifa was slowly walking toward Barret. Cloud couldn't quite read her expression, but he thought she looked rather sad.

They _all_ looked sad. Barret was just expressing himself more violently than the rest. As usual. Either realizing that he was wasting ammo, or he'd run out of ammo, Barret started punching the twisted wreckage spilling out of the gate. He swore and sobbed in turns until despair seemed to latch hold of him and he sank to his knees. He cursed again and let out a scream that got even Zack's attention.

Tifa tried to place an arm over Barret's shoulder to comfort him, but he shrugged her away and screamed again.

Cloud didn't know what to do. What could he do? He didn't really like Barret, at all, but seeing the man in such pain ate at the still-fogged portions of his mind. Tifa seemed to be at as much a loss as he.

Only Zack did something. He strode right up to Barret and punched him in the face.

"Wha... wha was that for!"

"For acting like an idiot! Do you really think Biggs and Wedge and Jessie would want you reduced to this? What happened to fighting ShinRa, huh? What happened to all your big words about saving the planet?"

Barret glowered. "I don' need no lectures from some ex-SOLDIER."

Zack punched the twisted metal next to Barret's head, leaving a dent where Barret had barely managed to scuff the surface. "Well you're getting one, anyway. Sure, your motives seem noble enough, but I don't like your methods. You put people's lives at risk, _innocent_ people's lives at risk all to make a point. Now ShinRa's flattened your home and all your neighbors to make their point. Seeing a pattern?"

"We ain't like ShinRa!"

"You keep thinking that. And while you're at it, think about the sort of future you want for your daughter."

Tears threatened to start flowing again from Barret's eyes. "Marlene... Ya #*$#&& SOLDIER! Marlene's dead! She ain't got no future!"

"Barret, stop... Please stop, Barret." Tifa tried to pull her friend and comrade off of Zack. Not that Zack seemed at all phased by Barret's outburst. "Marlene... I think Marlene is safe."

That got Barret's attention. "...huh?"

"Right before they took Aerith, she said, 'Don't worry, she's all right.' She was probably talking about Marlene."

No more tears. "R, really!"

Tifa nodded.

Cloud stood up and approached the rest of the group. "We should go see her."

"Yeah," Zack said. "Besides, I'd like to know why Tseng chose now of all times to grab Aerith."

Barret harrumphed as everyone fell in line behind Zack. "Sounds like you know this Tseng guy."

"I used to consider him a friend," Zack said, putting just a bit of extra emphasis on 'used to.'

"Huh. Mus' be a lot o' those."

"Yeah. Though some of the most important ones are dead."

They fell into silence the rest of the way to Aerith's house. There the silence was broken by a long, low whistle from Barret.

"Di'n' have no idea a place like this existed. Could exist. Them flowers real?"

Zack nodded. "Aerith has a way with flowers." He sighed. "I better break the news to her mom."

He barely made it to the door when a hand took his arm. "Zack, we'll get her back."

Zack smiled down at Cloud. "Sure we will. No doubt."

The second knock barely made contact with the door when Elmyra answered. Almost like she was waiting for them. She looked tired.

"Zack. Cloud." She looked between their shoulders and frowned slightly at the unfamiliar faces. "Your friends?"

"Sort of," Zack said. "Tifa, Barret, this is Mrs. Gainsborough. Mrs. Gainsborough, Tifa and Barret."

"Pleased to meet you."

"Hey."

"Please call me Elmyra."

Zack hung his head. "I'm sorry. ShinRa has Aerith."

"I know."

That was unexpected. How could she sound so calm?

"They took her from here." A bit of catch in her throat got disguised as a cough. "Won't you come in? It's far too early to laze about on the front stoop."

The ragged group followed her into the house, amazed that she could be so collected and normal after what happened.

Cloud, of all people, spoke first. "Why is ShinRa after Aerith?" He almost sounded like a child asking why the sky was blue or why leaves fell in the autumn.

Elmyra smiled as she motioned everyone to take seats around the sturdy little dining table. She picked up some old cups from a cupboard and placed them on the table before answering.

"Aerith is an Ancient. The sole survivor."

Zack stared at Elmyra, sharing a look of shock with two of the three other member of their group. He knew Aerith was an Ancient and all, he just hadn't expected her mom to tell anyone. She hadn't told him, he found out almost by accident when talking to Cissnie.

"...What did you say?" Barret said, recovering enough to form words. "But, aren't you her mother?"

Elmyra shook her head. "Not her real mother." She sighed. "It's a long story. Can I get you something to drink first? Water? Tea?"

"Water's fine," Tifa said. "We shouldn't impose on you for long."

The water fetched, Elmyra sat with them and started her tale.

"It must have been 15 years ago, during the war. My husband was sent to the front. Some far

away place called Wutai."

Zack nodded. He'd been to Wutai and knew that a lot of regular troops had been sent there, too.

"One day, I went to the station because I got a letter saying he was coming home on leave. My husband never came back. I wondered if something happened to him. No, I was sure his leave was just canceled. I went to the station everyday. Then, one day I came and saw a woman laying on the steps of the platform. She was near death and barely conscious. Beside her a small girl tried to wake her up."

She closed her eyes as if bringing the scene back fresh and clear even after all that time. "You used to see this sort of thing a lot during the war. Her last words were, 'Please take Aerith somewhere safe.' My husband never came back. I had no child. I was probably lonely. So I decided to take her home with me." She smiled, sad and maybe a little bitter. "Aerith and I became close very quickly. That child loved to talk. She used to talk to me about everything. She told me she escaped form some sort of research laboratory somewhere. And that her mother had already returned to the planet, so she wasn't lonely... and many other things."

Zack's fists clenched under the table. That part of the story sounded all to familiar. Across from him Cloud stiffened, though the blond couldn't pinpoint why that part of the story affected him like that.

Barret only reacted to the last part. "Returned to the planet?"

Elmyra nodded. "I didn't know what she meant. I asked if she meant a star in the sky. But she said it was this planet... She was a mysterious child in many ways. One day I was cleaning and heard her coming down the stairs. She said, 'Please don't cry.' Just blurted it out all of a sudden. When I asked her if something had happened she said that someone dear to me had returned to the planet. That he was coming to see me but hadn't made it."

She looked down at the table. The memories seemed to get heavier as she talked. Zack almost reached for her when she started speaking again. "At the time I didn't believe her. But several days later we got a notice saying my husband had died. And that's how it was. We were happy. Until one day..."

Zack got up the courage to reach over and place a hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to say any more."

She looked up. "No, I believe I do. You want to know who you're facing, don't you?"

Zack nearly fell backward out of his chair. Was she certain she wasn't an Ancient? Or was it the same thing all moms had of just knowing things?

Either way she continued. "One day Tseng came. He was still new as a Turk and not quite as cold. Still, he worked for ShinRa and it was his job to bring Aerith back. He said that she would lead them to a land of supreme happiness. Only Aerith refused. She denied being an Ancient or having special powers. But I knew. I knew about her mysterious powers. She tried so hard to hide it, so I acted as though I never noticed."

Cloud looked amazed. "How did she avoid ShinRa all this time?"

"ShinRa needed her. So I guess they wouldn't harm her."

"But why now?" Tifa said.

Elmyra's eyes went to the stairs at the back of the room. "She brought a little girl here with her. On the way here, Tseng found them. She probably couldn't get away fast enough. She decided to go to ShinRa in exchange for the little girl's safety."

"Marlene," Cloud murmured.

"Marlene!" Barret jumped from his chair, nearly turning it and the table on end. "Aerith was caught because of Marlene!" He bowed his head, suddenly much more quiet. "I'm sorry. Marlene's my daughter. I'm ...really... sorry..."

Elmyra gasped. "You're her father! How in the world could you ever leave a child alone like that!"

Zack resisted the urge to bury his face in his hands. Barret was going to start emoting again, he just knew it.

Amazingly, Barret stayed relatively calm. "...please don't start with that. I think about it all the time. What would happen to Marlene, if I..." He choked a bit before continuing. "But you gotta understand somethin'... I don't got an answer. I wanna be with Marlene... But I gotta fight. 'Cause if I don't... the planet's gonna die. So I'm gonna keep fightin'! But, I'm worried 'bout Marlene. I really just wanna be with

her... always. See? I'm goin' in circles, now."

Zack sat dumbfounded. He hadn't realized just how close to home he'd hit when he chewed Barret out earlier. _It's not just the planet. He's trying to make a safe place for his daughter._

Elmyra saw it, too. She nodded as she spoke to Barret. "I think I understand what you're saying... She's upstairs asleep. Why don't you go and see her."

Tifa bowed her head over the table, her hands clenched together in front of her. "It's my fault... I was the one who got Aerith involved in this."

Elmyra reached over and clasped Tifa's hands in her own. "Don't say that. Aerith doesn't think that."

"Aerith's like that. She doesn't blame people." Zack had gone back to rubbing the tape sealing the black box shut. The top was clear and he could see unopened envelopes inside. At least they better be unopened, he knew the Turks had some pretty sneaky tricks.

Elmyra saw what he was doing. "What is that?"

"Letters," Zack said. "Eighty-eight of them."

"So you got them?"

"Tseng gave them to me just before the plate collapsed. Well, more threw them at me." Zack sighed. _I will not start apologizing like Cloud._ "I promise to get Aerith back, but it's not safe to stay here any more. You should probably move out of Midgar."

"Of course. Why don't I put those letters with my things." At Zack's look she smiled. "It will be an encouragement for you to actually return, instead of just running off with my daughter."

Zack's accustomed grin spread over his face. "Hey, now there's an idea."

Elmyra's frown was kind and almost conspiratorial. Zack started to wonder over the old 'nature vs nurture' argument, she looked far too much like Aerith.

"Just make sure she's safe."

"I promise."

Cloud moved quietly from the table. He leaned over Tifa and explained, "I'm going to check on Barret."

Tifa watched as Cloud walked up the stairs. He didn't seem about to pick a fight so she didn't stop him. More than that, she felt happy and relieved that Cloud truly seemed concerned.

* * *

_Things have been sticking pretty close to the original plot so far, haven't they? Hehehe. There are going to be major changes soon. Hmm. Seems Cloud isn't the only one who gets serious about promises. He and Zack really could be related. Oh, like I need another fanfic idea._


	16. Old Friend

**Chapter Fifteen - Old Friend**

Cloud had never seen Barret so thoroughly paternal. Sure, the over-sized man was always gentle and protective with Marlene, but he'd never let down that rabid Nibel wolf exterior so completely before. He was crying and hugging and muttering about how he'd been so worried and how glad he was now. Cloud felt extremely awkward standing in the doorway as witness.

Before Cloud managed to slip away, Barret caught him.

"Cloud!"

Nothing for it but to turn back around and face the man. Cloud made an effort not to make any expression that might provoke him.

"You an' Zack are goin' to help Aerith, right? She's his girlfriend, I'd beat 'im up if he didn't."

Cloud highly doubted Barret could even land a blow on Zack.

"I'm comin', too. She's done so much for me. An' since it's ShinRa that has her I can't just sit here!"

"It's going to be dangerous."

"Damn straight, it's dangerous! What'd you think those bombing runs were? Look, me an' Tifa may be all that's left of AVALANCHE but that don't mean we're through. ShinRa's gonna pay for what they've done."

Hard to argue with that. Barret might have horrible aim, but what he lacked in accuracy he made up for in shear quantity and presence. Cloud knew if he was normal he'd want to be anywhere other than in front of Barret when he was mad.

When exactly had he stopped being normal? Had he ever been normal?

Cloud frowned. "Fine by me, but you'll have to talk to Zack. It's his mission."

Barret nodded. Suddenly, Cloud felt a tug on his pants. Looking down he saw Marlene staring up at him.

"Aerith said she was Zack's girlfriend. Does that mean Tifa is your girlfriend?"

Cloud's eyes widened, the emotion or set of emotions behind that reaction escaping him. "What?"

"Is Tifa your girlfriend! You act all weird around her like Zack does when he talks to Aerith on the phone."

"Hey," Barret said, rescuing Cloud from having to answer, "you shouldn't listen in on people like that."

"But you do, Papa." Marlene looked innocent and confused. Cloud had to fight down a snerk.

"Uh, yeah, well, that's 'cause it's my job to keep everyone safe and I didn' think we could trust Zack yet."

If there was more to Barret's explanation, Cloud didn't hear it. He left the tiny family and returned to the living room. There Zack was having an argument with Tifa. One that he was losing.

"I'm going with you!"

"No you're not! This isn't a reactor. This is ShinRa HQ and it's going to be crawling with security. And SOLDIERs!"

"Aerith is in this mess because I asked her to get Marlene to safety. I'm going."

"Gaaa!" Zack turned and saw Cloud watching them. "Cloud, help me out here."

How was he supposed to do that? Logic obviously hadn't worked. Cloud looked from Zack to Tifa, his eyes wide and pleading.

"I don't want to lose you again."

Tifa shook her head. "You won't, but I have to help. If I stayed here... I'll go crazy."

Cloud's chin met his collarbone. "Barret wants to go, too, so I guess..."

Zack groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "How are we supposed to slip undetected into the ShinRa Building? Cloud and I could probably pass ourselves off as SOLDIERs if we found helmets but Tifa? Barret?"

"So we jus' bust our way in," Barret said as he came down the stairs behind Cloud. "Wha's the problem?"

"Uh, besides that being suicide? We'd need someone on the inside to mess with security and..." A light dawned and Zack slammed his right fist down into the palm of his left hand. "That's it!"

*7*7*

Kunsel stood with a group of other 2nd class SOLDIERs in the small lounge area of the 49th floor. It wasn't the only floor dedicated to SOLDIER, but as most operatives spent their free time there it was somewhat unofficially called The SOLDIER Floor. At the moment he was waiting his turn in an impromptu arm wrestling competition.

He was still fifth in line when his handset went off.

"Hey, Kunsel here."

"Hey, Kun! Stay calm and just ask how I'm doing like nothing's weird."

Calm. He had to be kidding. It took an act of will to remove himself from a state of shock and say anything.

"Yeah, been a while. How are you?"

"Not bad. Just have the single most powerful company in the world out for my blood. You?"

"A lot better now that you've called." Kunsel sincerely hoped that the other SOLDIERs thought he was talking to a girlfriend. He had to beat down a snicker at the mental image.

"Yeah. I got your emails. Sorry I didn't respond, being on the run makes regular correspondence kinda hard."

"It's no problem. As long as you're okay." He was so going to throttle Zack the instant they met.

"... You aren't anywhere you can talk freely, are you?"

That's it, he was going to have some fun with this. "Aw. I love you, too. Hang on a sec."

"I'm going to take that as a 'no.'" Zack's voice sounded a little strained.

"Well, it's partially your fault," Kunsel said, maneuvering through a back corridor toward the stairs. "There, no people, no listening devices, no cameras. Now what brings you back after five years?"

"I need to get into the ShinRa Building."

"YOU WHAT?" Kunsel prided himself on normally being calm and collected to almost Turk levels. He was pretty sure even a Turk would be taken aback at such a mission. "Look, I know I said I wanted you to come back alive, but I didn't mean right into the ShinRa Building!"

"Uh, you probably don't want to hear about the other three people I'm bringing with me, then."

The temptation to hit his head against the wall of the emergency stairwell, or try to reach through the phone and strangle Zack, became almost too much to bear. "Zack, I know you're impulsive and damn near indestructible, but you do realize how insane this is, right?"

"... They have Aerith."

"They?"

"ShinRa. They kidnapped her at the same time they dropped the Sector 7 plate."

"ShinRa? But I heard AVALANCHE did that."

"AVALANCHE was trying to stop it."

Kunsel took a deep breath. Somehow, he wasn't too surprised that ShinRa would do that. Still. "Zack, you aren't working with AVALANCHE, are you?"

"It's not the same AVALANCHE." Kunsel couldn't help but notice that Zack hadn't answered his question. "You probably know more about what happened to the original AVALANCHE than I do, but I can assure you these people are different. They really want to help."

Kunsel sighed. He knew Zack was many things, energetic, distractable, trusting, but despite all appearances to the contrary Zack was no idiot. And he had personal reasons not to trust AVALANCHE, so this change of heart could mean only a few things.

"Right, okay. But I still don't see..."

"They have AERITH!"

Kunsel yanked the handset away from his ear to avoid further pain.

"All right, all right, I believe you," Kunsel said, once the ringing in his ear died down. "Do you have any idea where they're holding her?"

"Uh... somewhere in the ShinRa Building?"

No doubt now. That was definitely Zack on the other end.

"Do you know why they have her? She could just be bait to lure you into a trap."

A pause. Was Zack actually considering what he'd said? There was some muffled murmuring, at least one voice was female, and Zack returned.

"She's an Ancient. Seems ShinRa's interested in her as a research specimen."

The blood drained from Kunsel's face. "Hojo's lab. Floors 67 and 68 most likely. Zack, what do you want me to do?"

"You're going to help?" Zack sounded almost ecstatic. Kunsel could almost see him bouncing.

"I'll do what I can. So what's the plan?"

"Uh..."

"You don't have a plan, do you."

"That's kind of why I called you."

Kunsel definitely felt like hitting his head against a wall. He'd almost forgotten just what Zack could be like. "How did you ever manage to make first?"

"Hard work, I guess. Besides, I can't really come up with a plan if I don't know what to expect. All my info's five years out of date."

That, amazingly, made a lot of sense.

"Most of the security is robotic now. No real challenge to bust through, but it'd be noisy. R&D has been having a lot of fun coming up with new mech designs. Some of the grunts have been outfitted with power armor so they're going to look like machines at first. There aren't any firsts in the building right now, but even if they were you probably wouldn't have any problem dealing with them one-on-one. Honestly, they're more glorified seconds compared the firsts we used to have. The company's even dropped the custom armor rule and given the firsts helmets."

"Uh huh, so SOLDIER's pretty much gone to the dogs, huh?"

"Pretty much. I think the only reason I haven't been promoted is because I asked one too many questions when you first disappeared."

"You aren't in any trouble, are you?"

"No, nothing like that. Besides, being a first would really make it harder for me to sneak you and your friends in. Even with the way things have slid, a second is still a lot less noticeable than a first."

"Great. So how do we get in?"

"I guess that depends on how easy it'd be to dress your friends up as SOLDIERs."

A strangled noise that sounded like a laugh then Zack spoke again. "Cloud's not a problem but the other two..." Another snort. "You got anything for a girl and a guy with a gun-arm?"

A gun-arm? And why did he feel like he'd heard the name Cloud before? Kunsel decided to tackle those questions later.

"Do you think the girl would make a convincing grunt?"

From the noise, he guessed Zack was trying not to double over laughing. "Only if grunts come with D cups now. Ow! Hey! I'm sorry! Cloud! I said I was sorry!"

"Let me know when your friends stop trying to kill you."

"Okay, I'm back."

"Right. I think I can get a couple second class uniforms and a lab coat into the emergency stairs without anyone noticing. The girl's going to have to find her own business wear, though. As for the guy with the gun-arm... I might be able to get a live-crate to leave in the stairway, too."

Another snort from Zack. "Oh Barret is going to love this plan."

"He better," Kunsel said, deciding to ignore the sarcasm for now. "This might be the only way to get you right into the labs. The story is that you captured a monster and are delivering it for experimentation."

After that came details, like what size uniforms to pick up. Kunsel was mildly surprised to hear about Zack's growth spurt. Then the phone call ended and all that was left was to prepare and wait.

*7*7*

Zack did not take well to sitting still. A fact the other members of AVALANCHE knew all too well. Because of this he ended up tasked with the bulk of the shopping, only excluding Tifa's business clothes.

Tifa dragged Cloud along for the clothes shopping, leaving Barret to spend quality time with Marlene and make any adjustments he deemed necessary to his gun-arm. Cloud seemed quite uncomfortable with the idea of shopping for women's clothes even though Tifa assured him he wouldn't have to wear any of them.

Besides, she wanted a chance to talk.

"Cloud, are you sure you never made it into SOLDIER?" Tifa kept her voice low even though the store they were directed to in Sector 4 was nearly deserted.

His eyes fell to the floor. "I'm sorry."

"It's nothing to apologize for," Tifa said quickly. "Whether you were in SOLDIER or not you're still Cloud." It was Tifa's turn to contemplate the floor. "I was just wondering... since you and Zack seem to be such good friends."

And she'd seem them sparring. Zack was definitely better, but Cloud was improving fast. Even if she hadn't witnessed their matches, she could see the effect they had. Cloud's shirt didn't seem quite as loose as it had when she first met him outside Seventh Heaven and his arms were slightly thicker, the muscles a bit more defined. Even then, the strength he showed was a lot more than should be possible for someone his size.

"We met..." Cloud frowned, uncertain about something. "We were on a mission together. It was a cold place in the mountains. He talked to me."

_Wouldn't he have to be in SOLDIER to be on a mission with Zack?_ She didn't press the matter, though. It seemed to pain Cloud, and she didn't want to see him in pain.

Meanwhile, Zack ran through his shopping with a single-minded determination that was rare for him outside of battle. Ammo for Barret and Cloud, selling choice monster parts and some spare materia he happened to have on him so he'd be sure to have enough gil for everything, an improved set of fighting gloves for Tifa, a restore materia (apparently someone in R&D figured out how to put more than one spell in a materia), potions, ethers, bandages just in case...

Zack stared at what he'd collected. Something was missing. Maybe he'd forgotten about it while talking with the storekeepers. They remembered him and seemed unaware that Aerith was missing. It made the conversations pleasant yet a bit awkward.

There was all the materia he'd left at Seventh Heaven, but it didn't seem likely anyone would be getting at it soon. It was a big loss, some of them were unique since he'd fused them himself. Nothing to be done about that.

He was pretty sure he had all the medical supplies they'd need. They already had weapons. Cloud could use a better sword, but that would have to wait. Come to think of it, Kunsel would probably take care of that along with the uniforms. Zack, at least, certainly couldn't wander around with the Buster sword.

Light dawned along with a well placed palm to his forehead. A weapon! Aerith used a staff and he guessed that the Turks wouldn't let her keep it. They might have taken it back to the ShinRa building with them, but just to be on the safe side he'd better pick up a replacement staff. He'd feel better if Aerith could at least bloody someone's nose if they had to fight their way back out.

_Kunsel returns! He didn't get much character development in Crisis Core, but I rather like him. Besides, it makes total sense to bring him into the picture since Zack's still alive and kicking. Things are going to start getting a little different from here on out._


	17. Rescue Mission

_I own FFVII! Actually, I just own a copy of the original game ported to the PSP, as well as a copy of Crisis Core and Advent Children Complete. No copyright ownership. Sad._

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen - Rescue Mission**

Finally they were ready to make their way up to the plates. Then Barret reminded them that there wouldn't be any trains going up there now. Cloud and Tifa moaned but Zack kept grinning.

"Wha's yer problem? Di'n' you hear me right?"

Zack waved as if brushing aside Barret's comment. "Sure I heard, but you're forgetting that even if the trains aren't running, the train _tracks_ will still be there."

Everyone gaped, not sure how to take this flash of brilliance.

Zack shrugged. "I had to get a little creative a couple times when I'd visit Aerith."

And so they made their way to the ShinRa Building without incident. A few complaints from Barret, but no incidents.

"Okay, now if I'm remembering right, the emergency stairs should be... this way," Zack said, pointing to their left.

"I still say we should jus' bust in there."

Tifa shook her head. "It'd make too much of a commotion. This way is much better."

"Easy for you ta say," Barret grumbled. "You ain't gettin' shoved into some box. GA! I'm sore all over from that climb."

Cloud snorted what could only be a quickly aborted laugh. Zack grinned. If Barret hated the walk up to the plate he was going to absolutely despise the stairway.

Forty-nine flights of stairs. Tifa hoped she wasn't sweating too much in her not-quite business suit. Barret kept up a steady stream of complaints from the back of the line. Though if he had enough energy to complain then surely he could shut up and move a bit faster.

Tifa looked up enviously at Cloud and Zack. Neither of them were breathing hard and even had to stop to let Tifa and Barret catch up.

On one of those stops, Barret panted up the last couple steps before collapsing against a wall. "It's not one of them endless stairways or somethin', d'ya think?"

Tifa frowned. "Of course not!"

Zack laughed. "Looks like sitting in a crate might not be so bad after all. At least you won't have to walk anymore."

Barret grumbled something vulgar under his breath as he hoisted himself back to his feet.

Cloud's actions still bothered Tifa. She could understand Zack's stamina, he was SOLDIER, but Cloud was keeping pace with him without any effort.

_He says he never made SOLDIER, but everything about him screams SOLDIER. What is he hiding?_

For his part, Cloud seemed oblivious to Tifa's scrutiny. He seemed more intent on trying to say something to Zack.

"Um. I've been meaning to ask since the train graveyard, but... something odd happened while I was fighting one of the monsters in the sewers."

"Odd? How?" Zack asked, full attention on Cloud.

"There was some sort of power in me and the pipe I was holding glowed."

Zack's face went from almost serious to a giant grin. "A limit break! Awesome! What'd it do?"

"Um." Cloud blinked a few times before answering. "I jumped over the monster and hit it. Hard."

"Uh huh. Well, for a first limit break that's not so bad. You'll probably find you have others later."

Tifa listened intently. She knew about limit breaks from training with Zangan. She even had one of her own. It didn't involve any glowing, though. What struck her as strange was that Cloud seemed so new to the concept. Add that to the 'Cloud really never made SOLDIER' pile.

Zack kept talking. "You know, with more experience you'll probably be able to set off some of those limit breaks consciously."

"You're sure I'm going to have more than one?"

"Oh yeah. At least two." For some reason Zack's smile faded slightly. "Trust me."

Cloud frowned, but didn't continue the conversation. He had a feeling he should know a bit more about limit breaks. Probably another one of those things hidden in the fog.

Finally they reached the 49th floor. With all the SOLDIERs frequenting the area, security was light. Who'd be crazy enough to break into a place crawling with superhumans?

Them, apparently.

The guys retreated down one level once they'd sorted out the disguises. Just as Zack guessed, Kunsel thought to provide the appropriate weapons. Everything they wouldn't need right away (hopefully) went in the crate with Barret. Including the Buster sword, which Barret complained about loudly.

Returning to the proper landing once Tifa gave the all clear, Zack let out a whistle. Tifa had somehow managed to get her hair into something vaguely resembling a bun. While nothing could disguise her figure, she managed to hold herself so she was the very image of a harried lab assistant.

"You are good," Zack said. "The Turks should take lessons on covert operations from you."

"I'll take that as a compliment. Are you all set?"

"Yep." Zack rapped his knuckles on the top of the crate. A low growl that could easily have been a monster answered in protest. "Barret's all packed and ready to go. You?"

Tifa took her hands out of her pockets revealing a set of keycards in one hand and a folded piece of paper in the other. "Official looking disposal form. Your friend is really going out on a limb to help us."

"I know. We better all make it out alive to thank him properly."

*7*7*

Zack sure knew how to pick friends. Kunsel watched them board the elevator from around a convenient corner. How many people would willingly follow someone into a death trap like that? Anyone who came within smiling distance of Zack, he decided. The guy just had a way of making people like him without even trying.

Once the little party had been gone for a few minutes, Kunsel removed himself from the wall and called the elevator. Because he knew Zack and that nothing ever went as planned.

*7*7*

Aerith sat with her back against the wall of the test chamber trying to look as demure and unbothered as possible. She knew Zack would come for her. She hoped he didn't because then he'd be in danger, but another part found comfort in the knowledge that he would.

She didn't, however, expect him to show up with his sword pressed to Hojo's throat. The most startling thing was that Hojo didn't seem at all frightened. More annoyed.

"Imbeciles," Hojo said. "Taking me hostage will gain you nothing except perhaps a few extra moments to contemplate your failures, if you even have the mental capabilities to do so."

Barret stepped out of the lab elevator behind Zack, gun-arm up to Hojo's head.

"I say we jus' kill him and git it over with."

Zack gripped Hojo's arm tighter, forcing a wince out of the scientist. "It's tempting, but we need him to work the controls in here." He remembered all too clearly what had happened the last time he pressed random buttons in Hojo's lab.

"Hmph. I refuse to be of any assistance."

Tifa and Cloud filed into the room in silence. They were all still wearing their disguises, except Barret, obviously. Barret was carrying a large duffle with most of their supplies in it. Zack had traded the standard SOLDIER blade for his own. Cloud kept the SOLDIER sword but was currently holding his rifle against Hojo's side.

"Zack!" Aerith jumped up and pressed her hands against the reinforced glass of her prison.

Zack's face beamed when he saw her unhurt. Then his expression went back to barely contained rage as he turned back to Hojo. "Right. You're going to get her out of there. Now."

"What makes you think I'll do as you say?" Weapons aimed and pressed into his body. "I see." Hojo shrugged, still apparently unphased. "Very well. If you would be so kind as to allow me access to the control panel."

Zack released Hojo slowly. The scientist strode to the control panel closest to the test chamber, not caring that two firearms were still pointed at his back. A couple button presses later and a door other than the exit opened.

"What the hell did you do!" Zack gripped the front of Hojo's shirt and shook. Every muscle in his body tensed almost to the breaking point as he resisted the urge to rip off the man-by-technicality's head. Behind him a lift brought a large, red wolf/lion thing into the chamber with Aerith.

"Zack!" Aerith cried, trying to back through the glass walls.

Hojo adjusted his glasses. He frowned as if confronted with a particularly dim lab assistant instead of an enraged warrior. "I am conducting an experiment. You didn't actually think I would comply with your outrageous demands, did you? Perhaps I over estimated you in assuming that even your insignificant brain would realize that any harm you might do to me would only make your inevitable capture worse. Therefor, I have no reason to humor you."

Zack threw Hojo at Barret with an order to cover him. He stepped up to chamber where Aerith dodged the obviously excited beast. "Aerith! Get back!"

Just as she dove for the far end of the chamber, Zack brought down his sword, shattering the door.

The glass barely stopped falling before the red beast leaped out. It's jaws clamped down on Hojo's arm when the now frightened scientist raised it to block his face.

Zack offered a hand to Aerith and lifted her to her feet. "Are you all right?"

She smiled faintly. "I am now."

"Zack."

At Cloud's voice, Zack turned his head. The lift in the center of the test chamber was moving. The rest of the party turned their attention that way, allowing Hojo to slip out from under the large animal.

"This is no ordinary specimen," Hojo chuckled as he cradled his wounded arm. "This is a very ferocious specimen!"

The beast turned it's attention away from his intended prey to the AVALANCHE members. "He's rather strong. I'll help you all out."

Tifa gasped, her hand at her mouth. "It talked!"

"I'll talk as much as you want later, Miss." The beast flicked his tail in annoyance.

Zack nodded. "Great. Tifa, take Aerith to a safe place, we'll deal with the monster."

Cloud already had his sword out, the rifle slung over his shoulder.

Barret cursed as the thing, or rather things, clambered out of the test chamber. The smaller things looked like blood-bloated ticks only with a single massive green eye instead of a head. The larger creature behind them looked twisted and mutated, which it probably was. It seemed to have a purposeless mouth cut into its bloated right shoulder while the rest of its body was a mass of discolored lumps.

Zack drew his blade. "Come and get it!"

*7*7*

One thing quickly became apparent through the fight, killing the overgrown ticks didn't help. Whatever the big thing was it could renew the stock of creepy crawlies almost endlessly. Neither Zack or Cloud were tired and if they weren't pressed for time Zack might consider it good training. As it was he wanted this fight over as soon as possible.

The talking wolf/lion thing seemed to have the same idea. He jumped over the line of tick-things and dug his fangs right into the main monster's throat. Cloud followed with a slow but powerful strike at its legs. He still wasn't quite used to the extra weight of the SOLDIER sword. Finally, the thing fell and Barret finished off the smaller monsters with a spray of gun fire.

"Zack!"

"Cloud!"

The girls returned from where they'd barricaded themselves, desperate to make sure their respective man was in one piece.

The talking beast that helped them turned around and huffed. "It appears Hojo has escaped."

"We'll have to leave him for later," Zack said. "Unless you want to track him down yourself."

The beast shook his head. "I have no desire to spend any more time in this place than necessary."

"What's your name?" Cloud said.

"Hojo has named me Red XIII. A name with no meaning whatsoever to me. Call me whatever you wish."

"Might as well call you Red, I guess." Zack shrugged.

Red made a single incline of his head by way of a nod. Zack couldn't help but think this guy was like Cloud in animal form. Red turned to Aerith, who jumped back slightly. "My apologies for what happened. I was merely acting in order to throw Hojo off guard."

"It, it's all right." Aerith tried to smile and leaned a bit more into Zack.

Barret cleared his throat. "What are you?"

"An informed question. But difficult to answer. I am what you see." Red managed to imitate a shrug and his one good eye closed briefly. "You must have many questions, but first, let's get out of here. I'll lead the way."

Barret couldn't agree more. "Now we've saved Aerith, ain't no need to be in this buildin'! So let's get the hell outta here!"

"We're going to stick out too much if we all go together." Zack turned to Barret. "Take Tifa and Aerith and go back the way we came. Cloud and I will follow Red."

"You sure 'bout that?" Barret said. Aerith also looked at Zack, unwilling to leave him again.

"I'm sure. With any luck we'll draw some attention away from you guys." An easy grin shone on Zack's face. "Don't worry. I'm SOLDIER, remember?"

"If you're done talking, I think we should leave," Red said.

"Right." Zack squeezed Aerith's hand for just a moment. "Don't worry. I didn't come all this way just to lose you again."

Cloud and Tifa's goodbye was silent, non-physical, but no less emotional. Though there was more confusion over what those emotions were.

The moment gone, the party split, each going in opposite directions. Tifa and Aerith locked hands as they rode the short distance in the private lab elevator.

Their grip got tighter when the door opened up to a room full of grunts and Turks.

*7*7*

Cloud, Zack, and Red got into the express elevator before they realized something was wrong. Behind them Rude slipped into the tight space.

"Would you press 'Up' please?"

Zack glared, but did as Rude 'suggested.' There wasn't enough room left for a fight and even if they did overwhelm Rude, which was quite possible, his presence meant the other Turks knew where they were, too. It was just easier to obey and look for an opening later.

"A trap," Cloud said. Zack shook his head. They'd just been caught. Fair and square.

* * *

_Okay, so things aren't quite as different as they might be. Yet. At least the way they broke into the ShinRa Building makes a bit of sense now. Seriously, what is up with the security in that place?_


	18. Out of the Frying Pan

**Chapter Seventeen - Out of the Frying Pan**

The elevator opened onto the President's suite. Tseng joined them, stone faced and silent. Zack glared pure death over his shoulder at the man he once called a friend. His eyes snapped forward and his face fell when he caught who else was there.

Barret. Tifa. No Aerith.

Cloud looked like he was trying hard to remain expressionless. "You all got caught, too?" His voice cracked just a bit.

Zack narrowed his eyes at the President looking down at them from his huge metal desk. "Where's Aerith!"

"In a safe place." The President stood and strode as well as he could with his bulk. "She's the last surviving Ancient. Don't you know? They called themselves the Cetra, and lived thousands of years ago. Now they are just a forgotten page in history."

"Cetra..." Red sounded in awe. "That girl, is she a survivor of the Cetra?"

The President seemed pleased at the reaction he was getting from his audience. "Cetra, or the Ancients, will show us the way to the 'Promised Land.' I'm expecting a lot out of her."

Red spoke again. It seemed to Zack that the whateverhewas could be quite talkative when he wanted to. "The Promised Land? Isn't that just a legend?"

The President barely graced that comment with a shrug. "Even so, it's just too appealing not to pursue. It's been said the Promised Land is very fertile. ...If the land is fertile..."

Blood rushed to Barret's face. "Then there's gotta be mako!"

"Exactly. With such abundant mako we will not need money sucking reactors, it will just come out on its own. That is where Neo-Midgar will be built. ShinRa's new glory..."

Barret struggled against his handcuffs and cursed. Zack felt the urge, too, and felt he probably could snap the restraints unless they were designed with SOLDIERs in mind. But something about President Shinra's speech made him want to find out more.

The President seemed amused. The urge to do something violent became very hard for Zack to tamp down.

"Oh really, don't you know? These days all it takes for your dreams to come true is money and science. Well, that is all for our meeting."

Rude put a hand on Zack's arm. "Come on! Outta his way!"

Everyone started to file out except Barret. "Hold it! I got a lot I wanna say to you!" Rude had to come back and forceably remove him from the office.

*7*7*

Aerith sat alone and scared in her cell. Faintly through the door she heard footsteps and thought she heard Barret swearing. Then everything fell silent again. She had no idea how long she sat in the silence. It disturbed her how she couldn't hear even the tiniest whisper of the planet to ease the quiet of the physical world. All she was aware of was the ache in her back from the lumpy mattress and the darkness that pressed on her eyes. Slowly she also became aware of hunger. She must have been waiting a long time.

_Zack promised to come for me. He always keeps his promises, even if he's sometimes a little late._

The sound of a keycard and the door sliding open broke the stillness. She sat up and saw the faint outline of someone in a SOLDIER uniform.

"Zack?" she said, hardly daring to hope.

"I'm afraid not."

Aerith stiffened then relaxed as she slowly recognized the voice. "Kunsel?"

"Glad you remembered. I'm sure you'd rather be rescued by your hero, but I had to make sure you were safe first or Zack would kill me."

"How did you know where I was?" Aerith slipped off the stiff bunk and stretched.

Kunsel shrugged. "My old man was a Turk. I probably would have joined except, well, we didn't exactly get along."

By then they were standing before another cell door.

"So why SOLDIER?"

"Probably the same reason most people my age joined." His hand paused over the lock. "There are a lot of questions I want to ask, but I guess we'll both have to wait until we're out of here."

The door swooshed open to reveal Zack standing at the doorway.

"Sounds like you want to come with us," Zack said.

"What was it Angeal always said about dreams and honor? I don't think I'll be finding either in ShinRa."

Zack grinned and slapped his old friend across the shoulders. "Let's go get Barret. He's going to pop a blood vessel when he finds out and I want to be there to see every second."

"Same here," came Cloud's voice from behind Zack.

Barret's reaction was predictable. It took all three SOLDIERs (well, two SOLDIERs and one might as well be) to restrain the hot-headed man and keep him from rousing the entire building. Red merely rolled his eye at the display of human peculiarity.

Last came Tifa, who was more than happy to rejoin the team, even if they were strained and a little out of sorts. Kunsel showed them where their equipment and other belongings were stored then led them toward the stairs. For a moment Kunsel paused and looked back toward the lab.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Zack stopped to took back at his friend.

"I'm not sure, just..." Kunsel shook his head. "We have to get out of here, fast."

They ran down the stairs. As they went, Kunsel passed out ShinRa issue handsets. Barret grumbled but Kunsel explained that they were more reliable than anything from the slums and had some handy pieces of software installed.

Zack frowned at his. "Wouldn't ShinRa be able to track us with these?"

"You're thinking!" Kunsel said. "But these are different. I took the liberty of removing the locators."

"You can do that?"

Kunsel seemed about to answer when he stopped and drew his sword. "Heads up! We've got company!"

Three swords flashed in the dim stairwell. Most of the opponents were mechanical, or at least mostly mechanical. A few turned out to be regular troops in power armor. Cloud's eyes went wide when he stabbed one mech and found blood oozing from the wound.

Several flights down they had a chance to catch their breath.

"ShinRa's probably got the whole building surrounded by now," Kunsel said between breaths.

He and Cloud were finally starting to show signs of tiring. Barret and Tifa were only slightly worse off as they hardly had to fight. Barret grumbled about stupid SOLDIERs hogging all the glory. Aerith used Tifa as a support as she rubbed a sore leg. Zack just leaned against a wall, almost radiating energy as he waited for his friends to finish resting.

"Right," Zack said, "so we have to find a way to get past the front lines without taking any casualties."

"There's access to the vehicle hangers from the fifth floor, I think," Cloud said. He frowned. "When was I in the ShinRa building before?"

Kunsel frowned. So many questions came to mind, but they'd all have to wait until they weren't in the middle of enemy territory. Instead he focused his words on the situation at hand. "The elevators won't be safe. Not that the stairs are safe, but they're definitely safer. It's going to be a long run, though, can everyone make it?"

Aerith seemed about to protest that she'd be just fine when Zack scooped her up in his arms. "No problem. I think Barret would like in on some of the fun, anyway." His grin turned even more mischievous. "Though I think I'll be having plenty of fun."

"Zack!" Aerith cried. "This is hardly the time!"

Cloud turned to the wall, unable to watch. Seeing Zack act so carefree with Aerith made him feel frustrated and envious, though he couldn't say why.

They fought through almost a dozen more levels of security before Zack started to breath heavy. He also seemed a bit tense from not being able to fight. He was constantly moving, though, which was just about the only thing keeping him from popping something.

He did find a lot of pleasure in hold Aerith, though. Every chance he got he teased her. One time he tried suggesting Cloud do the same with Tifa, but a well applied boot to his shin ended the topic.

There was also watching Cloud fight. Zack beamed at the job he'd done training his younger friend. _Can you see this, Angeal? I think I'm doing a pretty good job._

Cloud still hadn't quite realized how fast he could move or high he could jump, so a lot of his movements were awkward and he needed the cure spell a lot more than Kunsel or Barret. Though since Barret generally stayed out of close combat range to lay down cover fire that should hardly count. Cloud also took down just as many and perhaps more security bots.

Tifa stayed near the back with Zack so she could warn everyone about any enemies coming from above. And get in a few attacks herself before Barret saturated the area with bullets and Red started ripping out circuits and/or throats.

Somewhere around the 42nd floor Zack, and everyone else, got a chance to see Cloud's limit break. It was a lot cooler looking than Cloud described. Completely demolishing a moth slasher in one hit helped.

They took a break to heal and breath at the 35th floor. That's when they heard the scream. Whatever it was, it sounded unnatural. The hairs on the back of the SOLDIERs' necks stood on end as they looked up the stairs, even though the sound clearly came from too far away to see.

Everyone ran faster after that. No more attacks came from above.

Security seemed to thin the further down they went. Finally they reached the fifth floor and access to the best vehicles ShinRa had at its disposal.

"We're going to need something fast and maneuverable," Kunsel said as they walked along one row of troop carriers. "It should also be-"

"Motorcycles!" Zack broke into a run that no one else felt like copying.

Kunsel pressed a hand to his face. Cloud slowly tipped his head to one side, vaguely remembering something about running for their lives and a stolen motorcycle. Only it had just been him and Zack, and he couldn't remember doing much of anything.

Zack waved from further down the garage. "How about the girls sit in a sidecar. Oh! Barret should be in a sidecar too so he can lay down cover fire."

"That's... not a bad plan, actually," Kunsel said as he caught up, the rest of the group trailing behind him at various distances.

Cloud stared at one particular monster of a bike. It was an early model Hardy Daytona, all beaten chrome and weathered steal with exhaust pipes Cloud could easily stick his arm down. It practically screamed testosterone poisoning.

"I call this one," Cloud said.

Zack was going to break his face one of these days from grinning. "Awesome. Guess that means Kunsel and I pick out a couple with sidecars. Hey, Red, you don't mind sharing with Barret, do you?"

"As long as there's room." Red sounded unsure that there would be.

Kunsel debated arguing against Cloud taking that particular motorcycle. It was notoriously hard to handle unless one was SOLDIER. Then again, from what Kunsel could see Cloud probably was SOLDIER, though he couldn't drop the feeling that he'd heard Zack talk about an infantryman by that name.

Whatever the case, Kunsel kept his mouth shut. After a little jostling and rearranging he ended up with Barret and Red as passengers while Zack got Tifa and Aerith. How did he do that?

No time to think about his friend's peculiarities. Cloud and Zack were already peeling out of their parking spaces, looking more like they were having a friendly race than running for their lives. Kunsel gunned the motor and sped after them.

_I had to include motorcycles. I just had to. However, the one thing that bothered me about that scene in the original game was the idea that ShinRa left display models with full tanks of... whatever they used to power vehicles before Cid and Barret found out about oil. Yes, that's what bothered me. Not the riding the motorcycle up stairs, or crashing through a window at least two stories up, or even that they somehow managed to hot-wire the bike and the truck fast enough to evade whatever troops were waiting for them outside. I'm bothered by the fuel._


	19. On the Road

**Chapter Eighteen - On the Road**

Whatever the grunts outside had been expecting it definitely wasn't three SOLDIERs on motorcycles with an insane man splattering everything with bullets from his arm. Cloud's face settled into something between a grin and a smirk as he sliced through anything that was still standing after Barret's attack.

Kunsel made a quick mental note never to get on that kid's bad side. SOLDIER or not, maneuvering a motorcycle with one hand while swinging a sword was not something just anybody could do. Zack took it to another level by doing the same thing with the Buster sword.

Barret muttered some choice expletives as he tried to twist around in his seat. Red growled in protest as Barret's movement pressed him into the side of the car.

"We've got company!" Kunsel yelled.

Cloud and Zack exchanged a look and nodded once. Cloud's bike squealed into a u-turn as he prepared to face their pursuers.

The grunts following them were on standard bikes. Cloud's smirk-grin widened, his hand tightening around the hilt of his sword. He could see the pursuers balk at the sight of a man in a SOLDIER uniform racing straight for them.

He slid into another u-turn just before colliding with the lead bikes. Sword met tires and headlights. Sword won.

Cloud drew even with Kunsel as he returned to the group.

"Nice moves," Kunsel shouted. "Where'd you pick that up?"

"Not sure. I've been around Zack a lot."

Definitely had to ask a lot of questions. Kunsel's inner Turk was having spasms. But that could wait until they weren't in mortal peril.

Speaking of which.

"Zack!" Kunsel tried to pull closer to the other motorcycle with a sidecar. "We're not being followed any more!"

"Great!"

"No! I think something big is... STOP!"

Brakes ground into sparks as they tried to stop before flying into oblivion. The highway just ended. A huge section missing as part of some construction. Once the motors cut out the people without sensory enhancements heard something else.

A low clanking, shuddering rumble. Something with spiked metal wheels and a flamethrower jutting out of its gun turret rattled toward them, not stopping.

"OH SHI-" Zack cut himself off as he searched frantically for some way to get down. "Here! There's a cable that seems to go most of the way to the ground. Kunsel, you go first, then Aerith and Tifa."

"Yes, sir!" Kunsel said in all seriousness. For all his joking, Zack was his superior officer for a reason.

Tifa wasn't so easily convinced. "I'm not leaving you to fight that thing alone!"

"No arguing!" Even Barret snapped to attention at Zack's tone. "You can't punch something like that into submission. Go and help protect Aerith until the rest of us get there."

Tifa might have argued more, but Aerith took her arm and led her to the section of broken highway where their one means of escape lay. "I'll feel better if you're with me," she said.

The monster machine was close enough to shake the loose gravel around their feet.

Red sniffed the cable. "I don't have hands."

"Then one of us will carry you. Great, here it comes!"

Aerith nearly lost her grip when she felt the machine slam to a stop above her.

"Keep your head together!" Kunsel said. "Just one hand after the other. Slide your feet down and wrap your legs around the cable. Easy now. There's a bit of a drop at the end. Don't worry. I'll catch you. Zack would have my hide if I didn't."

Up above, the fight raged. Zack dove right for the gun turret, trying to take out its primary weapon. Cloud alternated between purely physical attacks and shooting lightning out of his fists. Thank Gaia for materia. Barret tore up the joint between the body and the wheels with bullets. Red stalked the perimeter, unwilling to test his fangs and claws against a steel body.

Soon the unmanned tank fell, reduced to a pile of scrap.

Cloud wiped blood and oil out of his eyes and winced. A bit of shrapnel stuck out of his right bicep. He yanked it out and blood flowed freely from the wound.

Barret sported several burns. Zack was covered with minor cuts, the main injury was a burn covering most of his left arm from when he'd tried to rip out the flamethrower's fuel source. Zack returned his sword to his back before digging in his pockets.

"Hang on, I think I've got a restore in here somewhere. Got it!" Zack pulled out the small, pale green orb. He swapped it with a yellow materia in one of his gloves. "We better get healed up before the girls see us."

That done they tried to figure out how to navigate the cable. Zack and Cloud wouldn't have a problem but Barret only had one hand and Red didn't even have that. Barret had managed with the cable swing from Sector Seven, but then there'd been a hook end to wrap around the stub of his right arm. Finally, after much complaining on Barret's part, it was decided that Cloud would carry Red and Zack would carry Barret. Or rather, Red and Barret were to sit on Cloud and Zack's laps. It was awkward, but it got the job done.

Once on the ground, Cloud took one last look up with a bit of regret at having to leave that motorcycle behind.

"So you're all okay?" Kunsel said, walking up to Zack.

"Yeah, we-" One first right to the nose. "What was that!"

Kunsel brought both hands up and grabbed Zack's shirt. "Five years! I was starting to think you really had died! It was just like when Angeal and Genesis disappeared! And Sephiroth's gone, too! What the hell happened! Why didn't you call me?"

"Whoa. You were really worried. I'm sorry, man. I didn't want to get you in trouble."

Kunsel released one hand to grip the front of his helmet. "I knew you were going to say that. Fine. Let's just get as far as possible from Midgar and then you're going to tell me exactly what happened."

"Yeah, sure."

Awareness of their surroundings returned, especially of the people staring at them.

"Heh. It should take them a little while to figure out their new toy didn't work," Zack said. "So I guess this is as good a time as any for introductions. Kunsel, this is Barret, Tifa, you've already met Aerith, and Cloud. I think I told you about him. Anyway, everyone, this is Kunsel."

Greetings were muttered and Kunsel tipped his head slightly to one side as he tried to smile. "Thanks for giving me the benefit of the doubt. So any ideas what we do next?"

Red sat up. "I will accompany you until we reach my hometown."

Barret grunted. "We need a leader. 'Course that has ta be me."

"I nominate Zack," Kunsel said, raising his hand.

Barret opened his mouth. Aerith got her word in before him. "I agree." Cloud nodded with her.

"But he's SOLDIER!" Barret finally got his say.

"First class," Kunsel added. "That makes him the highest ranking person here with any military background. He also has leadership experience. Both are critical since we're going to be up against a real, organized army."

"Gee, and I thought it was just because we were friends." Zack slipped from joking to dramatic leader. "Right. First thing we do is get some distance between us and Midgar. Kunsel, I want you to check our equipment, especially the cellphones, for trackers or anything that might let ShinRa find us. Can you do that while walking?"

"Sure."

"Hang on!" Barret yelled. "I haven't agreed to this yet."

Tifa looked up at him. "Barret, everyone else agreed, and it makes sense."

For a moment only grumbling noises came out. Finally, Barret said, "Fine! But we're gonna need more supplies than what we've got here. We should split up and head for Kalm."

"No splitting up," Zack said. "Though heading for Kalm is a good idea."

"Huh? But a group this size is too noticeable!"

"You don't divide up fighting strength. Remember what happened last time? Any sized group, especially with fully uniformed SOLDIERs in it, is going to be pretty easy to spot. We're safer if we stay together."

"Better start walking." Kunsel kept glancing up at the highway.

Barret muttered something that sounded vaguely like agreement and the ragtag group started their hike north-east.

As daylight crept over the horizon Aerith pressed herself closer to Zack. "When you said you'd show me the sky I had something a little different in mind."

"Still scared?" Zack said. He wrapped an arm around Aerith's shoulders and drew her closer.

"Not now."

Kunsel's cursing brought Zack's eyes rolling to the heavens. Couldn't he have one uninterrupted moment with his girlfriend?

"Wha'sa matter?" Barret leaned over Kunsel's shoulder to get a look at the screen of his handset.

"Us. I was checking the news feeds to see if anything about our escape leaked out yet."

"Or what ShinRa's been feeding them," Zack added. "What, are they pretending it didn't happen?"

"Worse. They're claiming we killed the President."

The scream of "what" was unanimous.

As the surprise wore off, Barret turned almost gleeful. "ShinRa's dead! Wit'out the President ain't nothing they can do!"

"That doesn't make sense," Zack said. "If that were true then there's no way ShinRa would let that information out."

"Rufus." Kunsel turned his handset around so everyone could see the picture of the smoothly smiling young blond in a white suit. "He'd just returned from a business trip when he discovered the body. Now he's president and has ordered a huge search to bring his father's killers to justice."

Barret spat out some choice curses. "Sure he is. Prob'ly offed the old man himself so he could do jus' that."

"At least now we know," Zack said. "Though it doesn't really change anything as far as we're concerned. We still need to get as far from Midgar as possible before nightfall."

The day passed without incident. Nothing grew in the wasteland so nothing lived, except a few monsters passing through that they were thankfully able to avoid. Food was a problem, though. And water. As dusk approached Zack decided to scout ahead to see if he could find anything edible before Barret tried sampling rocks.

Zack soon came to regret that decision.

*7*7*

Green. Everything was green. The world was reduced to a narrow space around his body filled with green liquid. He tried to move, tried to shout, but nothing happened. Suddenly the green vanished. He was laying on his back staring at a rough stone ceiling covered in glowing orbs. Now everything was covered in red, even his own body.

Blood. Everything stank of blood.

A shadow hovered over him. Glasses perched on a thin nose caught and reflected the light, hiding whatever lay behind them. A scalpel glistened in its hand.

The shadow cackled. The scalpel traced the outlines of every muscle on his abdomen.

The scalpel rose above his chest and hovered in the shadow's grasp. Sudden, white hot pain shot through his body as it transformed into an impossibly long sword. The ceiling and shadow vanished. In their place stood the interior of a reactor and Sephiroth. Long silver hair barely obscured glowing green eyes with slit pupils.

Pain. The world was pain and glowing eyes. Green. Everything was green and pain. Even the blood that oozed from every inch of his body was green.

He screamed.

*7*7*

Kunsel jumped up, sword already in hand before he even realized what woke him. Barely a foot away, curled against the lee side of one of the wasteland's many rocky outcrops lay Cloud. Screams and muffled wails burst from his mouth.

Everyone was awake by now except Cloud. Tifa cautiously reached out a hand to brush Cloud's shoulder. He flinched at the touch and lashed out, missing Tifa's face by less than an inch.

That's when the thrashing started. Kunsel had to use every ounce of strength just to keep Cloud from injuring himself or someone else. The frown on Kunsel's face wasn't just from exertion. Cloud hadn't been that strong the night before. Either he had been holding back, consciously or not, or in his panic he was pushing his body past its limits. That last wasn't a pleasant thought. Kunsel didn't want to be anywhere near if Cloud started a limit break.

Words started coming out between the screams. "Mom! Tifa! Zack!"

"I'm here, Cloud," Tifa said, kneeling as close to him as she dared when she heard her name. "I'm here. It's all right."

"Tifa." Cloud slumped over in Kunsel's arms.

*7*7*

The sad excuse for a campsite was not the same as Zack left it. Kunsel sat near Cloud, his helmet and cowl off, looking like he'd just tried to outrun a zolom. Tifa knelt next to Cloud while Aerith sat behind her. Both women looked worried. Barret sat quite a distance from the rest of the group, eying the situation with an almost fearful suspicion. Red appeared to be asleep nearby, except his ears kept twitching.

Cloud just looked unconscious.

Zack dropped the potion vial he'd filled with water near the rest of their gear and turned to Kunsel. "What happened?"

"That's what I'd like to know. He just suddenly started screaming and flailing around in his sleep. He managed to say a few names, too, including yours and Tifa's. Tifa managed to calm him down somehow, at least for now."

"Oh."

Barret frowned. "Ya don' seem surprised."

"Because I'm not." Zack slid into a seated position next to Aerith. "It hasn't happened before, but I guess I was kind of expecting it."

"I think now might be a good time for an explanation," Kunsel said. "We're all awake now, anyway, aside from Cloud." Red huffed and lifted his head slightly to indicate that, yes, he was among those awake.

Zack sighed, a rather uncharacteristically resigned sound for him. "How much detail do you want?"

* * *

_Things are turning out a little differently now. Poor Cloud, he's going to miss that bike. And then I subject him to a nightmare. Guy just can't catch a break. Hope everyone likes what I'm doing with Kunsel. It's a little hard writing him since there's so little to go on._


	20. That Day

**Chapter Nineteen - That Day**

"What's it like? It's been a while since you've been to your home town, so what's it like to be back? I wouldn't know since I never had a hometown."

Cloud bowed his head, looking extremely uncomfortable even for someone being asked a question by the Great Sephiroth.

Out of curiosity and a desire to rescue his friend, Zack asked his own question. "What about your parents?"

Sephiroth just barely shrugged. "My mother's name was Jenova, she died shortly after I was born. My father..." Sephiroth never really laughed. It was unnerving to hear. "Why am I talking about this?"

_"Whoa, hold it right there," Kunsel said. "Did he really say his mother's name was Jenova?"_

_Zack nodded. "Yeah. I thought it was pretty strange, too, since I'd gotten that email from you mentioning Jenova being involved with the SOLDIER program."_

_"Huh?" Barret looked confused and the story had barely started. "What's the big deal about this Jenova person?"_

_"SOLDIERs are infused with mako, but that's only the most widely known part of the procedure," Kunsel said. "Even a lot of SOLDIERs aren't aware that we're also injected with cells from what's supposedly an Ancient named Jenova."_

_"An Ancient?" Aerith said. Her eyes widened at the thought._

_Zack shook his head. "Whatever Jenova is, I don't think she's an Ancient. I remember Hojo mentioning something about an unclassified specimen getting identified as an Ancient, or something like that. Creepy bastard never really seemed to make much sense. Anyway..."_

The odd girl from the gate the other day turned out to be their guide.

"Tifa?" Zack said. "No, I can't allow this. It's too dangerous."

"Then it's all right if you protect her," Sephiroth said.

Soon the expedition started up the rocky slopes of Mt. Nibel. A few monsters attacked, but were easily dispatched by Sephiroth and Zack. The real problem came when they reached the rope bridge. Halfway across it swayed and groaned ominously.

Less than a moment after realization struck, Zack grabbed Tifa. She didn't have time to protest when the bridge snapped and they all fell into darkness.

Zack woke up with a headache, but that seemed to be the extent of his injuries. Tifa lay on top of him, also apparently none the worse for wear. Not too surprising, considering Zack's efforts to cushion her fall. Also not surprising, Sephiroth was already up and looking for a way off the ledge they'd all landed on.

Most of them, anyway. One infantryman seemed to be missing. The other took a bit longer than Zack to wake up, but otherwise seemed unhurt. That was the surprising part. Cloud was one tough kid.

_"Wait," Tifa said, "you mean Cloud was an infantryman on that assignment? He wasn't in SOLDIER?"_

_"Huh? Ya mean all this time I'd been callin' both of ya SOLDIER and ya weren't?"_

_"Cloud should've been SOLDIER. That's what I thought before I found out what was really involved. At first I thought it was weird that he refused to show himself to anyone in town, but I guess he was just embarrassed that he hadn't made SOLDIER."_

_"But I still don't get it," Barret said. "If he ain't SOLDIER then how come he's able to do all that crazy stuff? He just about knocked out that other SOLDIER guy you brought along." Barret pointed at Kunsel._

_"Seriously?" Zack looked a bit worried at Kunsel._

_"Not exactly. He was rather hard to hold onto, though."_

_"Uh, yeah. Well, there is a reason for that, but it comes a bit later."_

Cloud stayed outside to keep an eye on Tifa while Sephiroth and Zack went inside the reactor. They found the cause of the leak and something else.

Monsters.

The pods in that room were full of monsters that had once been human.

That's when Sephiroth began to doubt his humanity. Genesis showing up and saying that Jenova was a monster did not help in the least.

Sephiroth seemed to maintain a cool head, though when Zack later left the reactor he was nowhere in sight. Instead there was one of Genesis's copies and Cloud trying to protect Tifa.

Cloud ended up unconscious and had to be carried back to town. Once Zack was sure Cloud would be all right, that is, waiting until the kid regained consciousness, he went looking for Sephiroth. Following a tip about a secret passage on the second floor of the mansion, he finally found Sephiroth examining a bookshelf in what seemed to be a nightmare version of a lab.

Zack would later come to regret leaving Sephiroth alone in there.

They'd been in Nibelheim for a week when Zack finally decided that he'd drag Sephiroth out of that basement kicking and screaming if he had to.

Except the man he found hardly seemed like Sephiroth at all. This Sephiroth called Zack a traitor and lectured on the Cetra and their destruction which he blamed on humans. Humans like Zack. This Sephiroth claimed to be a Cetra produced through ShinRa's scientific experiments.

Stunned, it took Zack a moment to realize Sephiroth had left.

By the time he left the manor the village was in flames. He found Cloud alive but unconscious near the inferno that had once been his house. One look in the door told Zack that there was no hope for anyone inside. Instead, he moved Cloud a little closer to the as yet intact well.

At least he could save one other person. A boy he'd talked to earlier in the week ran up to him saying his mom was still in their house. The smoke and flames were blinding, but he managed to find the woman and get her to safety.

As he left the building he heard an older man's voice yell to him from across the square.

"Hey! Are you still sane?"

Zack turned. It was Zangan, Tifa's martial arts teacher.

"Yeah, right," Zack said. "How could anyone stay sane in a situation like this?"

The aging martial artist shook his head, though not entirely in disagreement. "Sephiroth did this. They said the man was a hero, but he's really just a murderer." He looked back up at Zack. "Tifa went up the mountain to confront Sephiroth. You have to stop her. His opponent should be a SOLDIER like you."

"I'm not just a regular SOLDIER," Zack said, already turning away. "I'm a SOLDIER first class."

He ran for the road leading out of town only to find it blocked by flames. In the center of the flames stood a familiar yet completely alien figure.

Sephiroth's eyes glowed green as he turned away from the carnage he'd created.

Zack ran the entire way to the reactor. Even so, he was too late. Tifa lay bleeding on the floor. Up the stairs lay the door labeled JENOVA. Zack strode up to it and sliced it down, determined to stop Sephiroth's madness.

They fought, Zack even tried reasoning with Sephiroth, but it didn't do any good. Zack was thrown from the room, wounded and barely able to move.

Zack had no idea how long Cloud had been there. Just that the young infantryman marched up the stairs, took the Buster sword, and stabbed Sephiroth before returning to the outer room to move Tifa out of the way.

_"Wait jes' a minute, you sayin' you got yer ass handed to ya by Sephiroth and the kid just walks right in, stabs him, and that's it?"_

_"Not exactly."_

_Kunsel frowned at Barret. "Let him finish."_

_"Yeah, yeah, sure. Not like you haven't butted in."_

Zack could hear glass breaking and footsteps in the room above. If the way Cloud's head shot around was any indication, so had he.

Sephiroth emerged from the doorway, one hand held his side while the other held the severed head of Jenova. Sephiroth glowered down at Cloud. "By someone like you..."

"Cloud," Zack said, struggling just to stay conscious, "finish Sephiroth."

A single nod and Cloud ran to the foot of the stairs where he'd left the Buster sword.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud didn't run up the stairs, he jumped them, swinging the blade down. Sephiroth blocked and threw Cloud around into the chamber with the rest of Jenova's body.

Zack could hear Cloud struggle to get up. Sephiroth loomed over the boy, sword ready to strike.

"Don't get over confident!" Sephiroth lashed out. Cloud hung impaled on Sephiroth's blade.

Yet somehow Cloud wasn't dead. He pulled himself further down the sword until his feet touched the floor. He lifted Sephiroth, sword and all, and threw the madman off the platform into the rolling mako.

Staggering, Cloud managed to leave the room only to fall down the stairs until his head lay almost level with Zack's.

The next thing Zack was aware of was Hojo giggling over his new test subjects. Then the world went black again before reforming into green liquid and curved glass.

*7*7*

*7*7*

"Mako?" Kunsel said. "You were left pickling in mako for four years?"

"Both of us were, when we weren't taken out to have... things done to us." Zack looked over at Aerith. Her face was white and she seemed unsure whether to cry or faint. "Cloud got the worst of it since I seemed to be more or less immune to whatever Hojo was doing. Part of it seemed to be injecting us with some of Sephiroth's cells, or something similar."

Barret was clearly losing an internal battle against freaking out. "Ya mean you and Cloud got some of that nut job inside ya?"

"In my case it's in addition to the Jenova cells that were already there. I guess Sephiroth and Jenova are kind of the same, though he was made more or less the same way Genesis and Angeal were."

"Whoa, I haven't heard this." Kunsel put both his hands up. "You mean all three of them were literally made by ShinRa?"

"I guess. I mean, both Genesis and Angeal had parents, but they were messed with while still in the womb. Sephiroth wasn't really all that clear on whether he was grown in a test tube someplace or had actual parents. He just kept calling Jenova his 'mother,' though I couldn't really see anything that would let her bear children."

"Okay, that's just disgusting."

"Oh, Zack." Aerith seemed to be leaning more toward the crying option now.

Zack tried a smile. "Come on, I got out okay and I'm sure we can get things sorted out with Cloud, too."

"I can't believe he actually survived all that." Kunsel shook his head. "How the hell did he get rejected from SOLDIER?"

Barret spat out a couple curses aimed straight at ShinRa. "The more I hear the more screwed up they are. Human experiments, damn. It jes' makes me wanna beat 'em even more."

Slowly, the party lined up for sleep. Girls on one side and guys on the other. As Tifa passed, she leaned her head close to Zack's ear. "Thank you," she whispered. She didn't wait for a reply before retreating to her spot.

Kunsel waited until everyone else was asleep before moving next to Zack. "So this is the Cloud Strife you kept telling me about. He's not quite what I was expecting."

"Yeah. This is a big improvement over a few months ago, though. At least he's moving."

Sighing, Kunsel ran a hand through his short, brown hair. "I was actually referring to what you said happened in the Mount Nibel reactor."

"What I said happened?"

"Hey, I believe you." Kunsel put his hands up, palms out in defense. "But doesn't anything about it strike you as kind of odd?"

"I'm guessing you mean beside Sephiroth turning omnicidal."

"Yeah. Putting aside the detail that Cloud managed to pick up the Buster sword for the moment, the way he attacked Sephiroth the second time sounds exactly like his limit break. Minus the blue aura."

Zack tipped his head to one side. "Huh. You're right. I never noticed."

"And you still managed to make first." Kunsel shook his head. "Zack, normal people can't do the things Cloud did back then. I just can't figure out why he could and it's frustrating."

Zack chuckled. "You can't know everything. Besides, I'm more concerned about the present. I sure hope he wakes up tomorrow."

*7*7*

Hope seemed to work. When Zack woke up the next morning Cloud was not only awake but going through practice swings with single-minded determination. Kunsel was nowhere in sight, probably off looking for more water, and everyone else was asleep.

"Hey, Cloud, glad to see you up."

Cloud turned, his jaw set and brows down in a mix of determination and anxiety. In that moment Zack realized what was wrong with Cloud's eyes. Since Cloud had first started to wake up the pupils had been fogged over with mako. Now they were clear and steady.

Zack beamed. "You're awake! I mean, obviously, you're standing right there, but you're more awake than you had been! All right!"

"Yeah." Cloud turned back and swung his sword a couple more times. "The fog's mostly gone now. I remember the lab and what Hojo did." One last swing, much more violent than the others, buried the sword in the ground. Cloud's expression relaxed slightly into one of barely contained fear. "Zack, what am I now?"

Zack stood at attention, fists on his waist. "You're Cloud Strife, SOLDIER. Well, you never officially made SOLDIER, but after everything you went through, you might as well be."

Cloud stared at Zack for a moment before looking down to contemplate his own hands. "So this is what it feels like to be SOLDIER. Maybe ... maybe I'll finally be able to keep my promise."

Zack almost told Cloud that he had kept it, but then remembered he wasn't supposed to know about the promise. Soon Kunsel returned without any food, the rest of their not-so-merry band woke, and they set out again. Hungry, thirsty, and extremely frustrated.

That motorcycle gang that tried to harass them around noon never stood a chance.

Evening started spreading its fingers as they finally reached Kalm. Despite their fatigue, everyone sprinted straight for the inn. There they paid for two rooms and the biggest meals they could afford.

Stomachs finally full, they started to actually think.

"So much for subtle," Kunsel said. "We should pick up as many supplies as we can first thing in the morning and then leave."

Red curled up at the foot of one of the beds. "Where do you plan to go?"

Silence. No one had thought that far ahead.

Barret spoke first. "No matter what, it better be to fight ShinRa. I ain't forgivin' them fer what they did to Sector 7."

"I hope you have something more productive than blowing up reactors in mind," Kunsel said. He kicked off his boots and lay down in the bed closest to the window.

"What was that?" Barret jumped forward but Cloud beat him to it. He stood between Barret and Kunsel, a small but surprisingly effective barrier.

Zack groaned. He was not used to having to play peacekeeper. "Look, can we just talk about this in the morning? Then Tifa and Aerith will be here, too, and we can come to an actual decision."

_Flashback! Those who've played Crisis Core will recognize some of the added events, like Genesis showing up out of seemingly nowhere to taunt Sephiroth. There's also a little bit from Last Order in there, even though it's not officially canon. Gotta love fan translations. I'm going to have to watch their travel time very closely from here on out. The entirety of FFVII happened within the span of a month? No way!_


	21. Training

*Disclaimer, blah blah blah. You know, I feel really stupid for missing the usual update time. Ack.*

**Chapter Twenty - Training**

Aerith looked down at her list. "Maybe we should get a few more of those instant meal packets."

"I think the clerk is going to get suspicious enough when we come to the counter with 20 pounds of jerky. You'd think we were trying to feed an entire army." Tifa stopped the cart at the end of the aisle, anyway.

Aerith giggled. "Not an entire army, just three SOLDIERs. Well, technically, Cloud isn't, but it's easier to think of him that way."

"Yeah." Tifa nodded even though she kept her face pointed at the ground. "I... I can't even imagine what he must have gone through. Him and Zack. I want to make ShinRa pay for what they did, but I'm not sure how anymore."

"I think Kunsel has the right idea. That we should wait and see if an opportunity presents itself. Hopefully, something that involves as few innocent bystanders as possible."

Tifa had very little time to think about the implications of that last sentence as Aerith was already dragging her to the checkout talking about how they'd have to make a second trip and maybe talk Barret into helping them carry some things.

The scene when they returned to the inn was almost funny. Barret sat on one of the beds talking into his handset. Probably Marlene from his tone. Zack and Kunsel sat on the other side of the room, teaching the fine points of weapon maintenance to Cloud who looked every inch the attentive student. Red wandered back and forth sniffing everything.

It looked so normal somehow.

Someone's PHS went off. Kunsel's, apparently. He flipped it open and started cursing enough to get even Barret's attention.

"Cloud, you did kill Sephiroth, right?"

Cloud jerked his head back. "Uh, yeah. I, I think I did." He looked to Zack for confirmation, and perhaps an explanation for how Kunsel knew about that.

Zack nodded. "Sephiroth is definitely dead. Why?"

"Because there's a rumor going around ShinRa that Sephiroth killed the President."

Every eye in the room focused in on the screen of Kunsel's PHS. Six of the eyes in horror, four in simple surprise, one in surprise mixed with almost detached curiosity.

"But he's dead," Cloud said, his voice very quiet.

"What all ya actin' so scared for. It's jes' a rumor, right?" Barret's voice betrayed a bit of nervousness, however.

"There was one time I thought I'd killed someone and he turned out to be alive," Zack said.

The silence that followed was stifling. Red finally cleared his throat and thus the atmosphere.

"How does this knowledge affect our movements?"

Zack slumped back onto the floor, his arms behind his head. "If Sephiroth really is still alive we should probably go after him."

Cloud nodded.

"You can't be serious!" Kunsel closed his handset with a snap. "You barely survived your last encounter with him and you want to go chasing after him?"

"Yes," Zack and Cloud said.

Kunsel groaned.

"You think Sephiroth's a threat to the planet?" Barret said.

Zack stared at the ceiling. "I don't know about the planet, but he's definitely got issues with humanity. Yeah. He's definitely a more immediate threat than ShinRa."

"A'right! Now we've got a goal all we gotta do is fig're where he went."

"Oh!" Aerith covered her mouth with her hands. "Tifa! Do you remember that man in the square when we were going to the grocery? The one who seemed to want to talk our ears off. He said something about a man in a black cloak heading east over the plains."

Tifa nodded. "I remember that. I don't know that I'd describe Sephiroth's clothing as a 'cloak,' but it's the only lead we have."

*7*7*

So they headed east. For the most part the local wildlife avoided them. The few encounters they had were with old sweeper mechs that lacked the animal instinct to avoid anything as unnaturally powerful as a SOLDIER, never mind three of them.

Zack questioned what the old mechs were doing out in the middle of nowhere to begin with. Kunsel explained that after the mess with Genesis some of the stolen weapons were never recovered. Even now Zack was still doing clean up for ShinRa. The thought wasn't particularly pleasant, but at least those machines wouldn't be threatening unarmed civilians now.

Plus, a couple of the mechs provided Barret with parts he could use to upgrade his gun-arm. That could come in quite handy once they started running into monsters that didn't mind going toe to toe with SOLDIERs.

*7*7*

Sephiroth was alive. If the planet kept popping out surprises like this, Tseng was going to corner the market in Wutanese green tea.

Of course, the news didn't end there. Somehow Sephiroth got into the ShinRa building undetected, stole the rest of Jenova's body, and proceeded to kill everyone on the 67th floor up to the 70th. Including the President, as if in answer to Tseng's guilty wish that the neurotic beach ball up and die already.

If only Heidegger had been on one of those floors. No, he couldn't allow himself any more of those thoughts. He didn't believe anyone could actually read his mind, but it was dangerous to allow treason to settle there. It could be habit forming.

To direct his thoughts away from the danger zone he almost fell into and back to the task at hand, Tseng pulled out the files he'd collected before starting on the long car ride across the plains. Turks didn't get motion sickness.

Besides the loss of personnel from Sephiroth's attack (just how had he gotten into the building, anyway?) a SOLDIER second class was missing. Kunsel, born and raised in Midgar, son of a low level but highly dedicated Turk, now 'retired.' Tseng suspected it was Kunsel who helped Zack and his friends get in. He certainly helped get them out. A couple of the surviving grunts mentioned three SOLDIERs in the group that broke out shortly before Sephiroth's arrival and there was security footage of three SOLDIERs in the stairwell.

Tseng frowned at the sheet of paper listing the time frame for each event. He didn't believe Zack or Cloud were in league with Sephiroth, they both had too many reasons to hate the man, but the times for both events very nearly overlapped. Had they somehow known Sephiroth was coming and broke out so as not to confront the ex-SOLDIER who'd nearly killed them? It seemed rather unlike Zack, but perhaps since he had non-combatants to worry about...

Too many conjectures, too many possibilities, and far too many unanswered questions.

Reno whistled his amazement in the seat directly behind Tseng. He was watching security footage of the fights inside and outside the ShinRa building. "Hey, Boss, you're sure this kid was just a grunt?"

Tseng nodded curtly.

"What is it?" Elena, one of their trainees, sat next to Reno, trying to look at the portable video display. Tseng didn't want to bring her along, but they were short staffed and the girl was observant even if a little too talkative. "You mean the weird SOLDIER?"

Tseng stiffened. "What do you mean?"

Reno had to stifle a chuckle at Elena's blush.

"Well, sir, there are a number of things. First of all, he seems to be a bit short, unless he's young enough to still be growing. Secondly, the way he moves seems a bit detached."

"Hey, you're right," Reno said, replaying one of the fight scenes in the stairwell. "Kinda like he's sleep walking or something."

Tseng frowned. One more item in Cloud's file to mark 'strange.' "What about his limit break?"

"His what?" Reno said. "Hang on, I haven't gotten to that part." A moment of fast forwarding and a few curses later Reno spoke again. "His limit break glows."

Elena watched, too. "Hey, back it up. Stop it right there. See, there's something wrong with his eyes."

"Give it to me." Tseng reached back and took the set that Reno handed to him. Elena was right. Cloud's jump brought him close enough to the security camera to pick up details of his face. In this case he specifically focused on the eyes and what Elena saw in them. A thin fog of mako extended from the iris through his pupils.

So he hadn't fully recovered from the mako addiction, but he still managed to function almost normally. Just what was he?

Far, far too many questions. Every time it seemed they might find some answers, it just brought up more questions. Tseng handed the set back. "Review the rest of the footage and commit their fighting styles to memory. We may end up confronting them in the future."

*7*7*

Cloud wasn't the only one getting stronger. Little more than a day out of Kalm they started running into actual monsters. Nothing terribly strong or hard to beat, but annoying and rather aggressive nonetheless. The levrikons, birds with long legs and over-sized clawed paws, were certainly good practice for Tifa. Even Aerith managed to get a few whacks in with her staff.

Zack itched to join the fighting more often, but then it'd be over before anyone else got a chance and then they wouldn't improve. It wasn't bragging (okay, maybe it was a little), Zack was a SOLDIER first class. That meant he was a lot faster and stronger than anyone else in their little band, even after four years of inactivity.

Not that those four years hadn't had an effect. He'd been pretty weak for a while after the escape. Still, he managed to regain most of his strength by the time he fought Genesis for the last time. Now he was trying to get the rest back without jeopardizing everyone else's training.

Near the end of the third day a possible method appeared on the horizon, though he didn't know it yet.

Still, the sight of the quaint farm made Zack's near permanent smile widen. "I thought this area looked familiar. It's Choco Bill's place. I was out here hunting monsters years ago. Wonder if the old guy remembers me."

"It's possible to forget?" Kunsel joked.

As they entered the farm proper they passed close to a paddock full of chocobos. One stood near the fence and reached its head out to Cloud.

"Wark?"

Zack chuckled. "Looks like you've made a friend."

"Uh, yeah." Cloud kept his hands out of reach as the large bird nuzzled his chest. More chocobos started gathering at the fence.

"Aw. I think they like you, Cloud," Aerith said.

Barret snorted. "Prob'ly think he's one of them."

Tifa giggled. Cloud just looked pathetic. One hand scratched the first chocobo behind its crest as the other chocobos continued to nuzzle him. His face spoke volumes. _Help me, please?_

Kunsel shook his head. "Why don't you just take a step backward?"

Cloud blinked. Apparently, the obvious solution hadn't occurred to him. Kunsel realized at that moment that, physically 21 or not, Cloud was still the shy, confused teenager Zack had told him about years ago.

The only word that came to mind to describe the situation was 'ouch.'

They finally managed to extract Cloud and walked the rest of the way to the farm house. As it turned out, Choco Bill remembered Zack fondly and invited everyone to stay for supper. It gave them all a much needed rest and a chance to ask the family about the black-cloaked man they were following.

"Black cloak, black cloak," Bill said, leaning back in his chair. "Say, Marge, didn't Rita's boy say something about a stranger heading toward the swamps a day or so ago?"

His wife nodded. "I do hope the young man changed his mind in time. Otherwise he's probably food for the Midgar Zolom by now."

"The what?" Aerith said.

Choco Bill blinked, disbelief covered his features. "The Midgar Zolom? It's a serpent-like creature over 30 feet long! It picks up on footsteps that enter the marshes and then, BAM!" he slapped one fist into the other. "It attacks!"

Zack had heard about that monster. "So, any way of getting across the swamp without running into this over-sized snake?"

"Only way is to ride over with a chocobo, since they're fast enough to evade the zolom. You can buy a few here if you like."

Bill's grandson, Billy, shook his head. "All the chocobo's we got right now belong to someone else. We can't sell any."

"Oh, is that so. I'd forgotten that." Bill turned to Zack. "Sorry 'bout that. You could try catching some wild ones, instead. We've got chocobo lure materia and greens in our shop."

"That's fine," Zack said. "How much?"

"Two thousand gil for the materia."

"Two thousand?" Barret's bellow threatened to knock loose the rafters of the old farm house. Tifa tried to calm him down as he continued. "Ain't that kinda steep?"

"It's the standard price for specialty materia like this," Billy said. "If you old folks don't like that-"

"Billy!" Marge said. "You should be more polite."

Billy muttered an apology before the adults went back to discussing what to do about transportation. Kunsel pointed out that they didn't have 2,000 gil and that was just for the materia. The greens they'd need to distract the chocobos would add considerably to the final cost.

A few alternatives were brought up, most of them about as practical as staking Cloud out in a field and seeing what turned up. Barret came up with that one.

"Hey," Zack finally said. "We need that materia and the greens, so instead of paying in gil, how about I stay here and work off the debt."

Bill frowned as he considered the idea. "Do you have any experience with farm work?"

Zack grinned. "I'm a country boy, just watch me."

*7*7*

He thought it had to be one of the best ideas he'd come up with. Everyone else could train by fighting monsters while trying to catch chocobos and he could get his strength back working for Bill.

Still, the work was rather repetitive. Muck out stables, bring in fresh straw, do minor repairs, things like that. He had to have a little fun with the routine. Like when Bill had to replace a tire on the truck and instead of going to get a jack like Bill told him to he just lifted that end. Poor Bill nearly had a heart attack.

Zack did all the work they told him to do and then some. The first day he didn't even sleep, just worked straight through the night. He was that thankful to finally burn off some excess energy.

It took two days to collect the necessary number of chocobos. By then Zack had started to run out of things to do outside the normal chores. Aerith found him in the garage wondering if he should try bench pressing the old pickup.

Zack turned when he heard Aerith's footsteps behind him. "Aerith, you're back." He set his fists on his waist and puffed up his chest. "Did you and the others get the chocobos okay?"

"Yes." Aerith giggled, both at the silliness of Zack's display and at how very good he looked. "Choco Bill said that he'd give us some saddles and harnesses since you've done so much extra work for him."

"Great. You know, I've never actually ridden a chocobo. This should be fun."

* * *

_I always wondered why the group wanted to go through the swamp before being told that a guy in a black cloak had passed through there. So I shifted things around a little. As for Bill knowing Zack, there are a lot of missions in Crisis Core that use the chocobo ranch as a map. I figure that Zack being Zack, he'd make friends with the locals._


	22. Trail of Bread Crumbs

**Chapter Twenty-One - Trail of Bread Crumbs**

'Fun' was one way to put it. These were wild chocobos, so they naturally didn't take well to having harnesses and saddles forced on them. Still, it was better than trying to control the beasts with nothing but yellow feathers to grab onto. Red had to be strapped to his chocobo in a rather creative fashion, a lead rope connecting it to Kunsel's saddle. Soon they were ready to brave the swamps and whatever lay beyond.

That beyond turned out to be a particularly large zolom impaled on a tree. Deep cuts covered the corpse.

Cloud gaped at the sight. "Did Sephiroth do this?"

"Probably." Zack dismounted and held his chocobo steady as he undid the straps of the saddle and harness.

Tifa gripped the reigns on her chocobo tighter. All she could get out was, "Amazing."

A shudder took Aerith. She didn't dare move otherwise. "Our enemy is someone that could do this?"

"That's messed up!" Barret said.

Kunsel slid from his chocobo and started unbuckling straps. "It does seem a bit over the top. Is it supposed to be a warning?"

"It appears more like a challenge to me," Red said as he wriggled out of the straps holding him to the saddle. "Though I find it curious that he would find such a gesture necessary."

"You mean he wants us to follow him?" Kunsel did not like that idea. The implications were rather disturbing.

Zack didn't seem to pay any attention to the speculation going on behind him. The chocobo he'd ridden out there squawked and ran away as he stared grim faced at the brutal scene in front of him. He stepped forward, Buster sword in hand. One swing and the tree cracked and started to fall.

Aerith gasped as the tree fell against Zack's shoulder. All he did was grunt, straining just a bit to keep the rest of the trunk from tipping over. His feet sank several inches into the soft soil from the added weight. Slowly he lowered the tree so it rested well away from the rest of the group.

"Zack," Aerith said, "what are you doing?"

"Parts of the body would fall off as it rots," Zack said. "It's not safe to leave it stuck up in the air like that."

Everyone quickly released their chocobos and continued on toward the mountains. They set up camp just outside the opening to a cave system connected to some long abandoned mythril mines. Supposedly the winding tunnels and caverns extended all the way under the mountains' roots to the Junon side of the range.

Aerith lay on her bed roll watching Zack keep watch in the firelight. Or, rather, she watched him do squats. He couldn't sit still for very long. The muscles of his arms shifted as he pumped up and down. Those same arms that caught a tree the way most people would catch a sack of potatoes. Those same arms that made her feel so safe when he held her.

She'd known he was strong, but that...

She reached over to the bed roll next to her and tapped Tifa on the arm. "Tifa? Are you awake?"

Tifa stirred. "Aerith? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just thought that we hadn't had much of a chance to just talk, as girls."

"What do you want to talk about?"

Aerith giggled. "What do girls usually talk about?"

Tifa rolled onto her side to face Aerith. "I'm sorry. I'm not really used to 'girl talk.' I spent a lot of time around boys growing up."

"I understand. I never really had anyone to have 'girl talks' with growing up, either. I just thought it would be nice since we're the only girls here."

"That's true." Tifa went silent for a few moments. "Aerith? What's it like seeing Zack again after all this time?"

"It's good. When I found out that he was safe I felt so relieved and happy, yet at the same time all the sadness and loneliness I'd felt while he was gone tried to crowd out all the nice feelings. Was it the same when you met Cloud again?"

"A little, but..." Tifa took a deep breath. "You weren't afraid?"

The laughter faded from Aerith's voice. "Of what?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe that he's changed somehow?"

"Are you afraid that Cloud changed?"

"I know he changed." Tifa rolled back so she stared up at the night sky. "I just don't know if it's a good change yet."

"Is it because he's so much like a SOLDIER?"

"Maybe. It's strange, because I knew he was trying to join SOLDIER, and I even made him promise to be my hero and rescue me if I was in a pinch. Maybe I shouldn't have made him promise that."

"I don't think it was necessary to. He probably would protect you, promise or no promise."

Tifa sighed. "If he didn't try to protect me, he wouldn't have gotten hurt."

"Maybe. But then you might have died. Do you think he'd be happy?"

"No, I guess not." Tifa turned her head to face Aerith. Tears started to form in her eyes. "It's just, sometimes it feels like he's slipping away from me, and it scares me."

"Have you tried talking to him?"

"No."

"Maybe you should try that."

"Maybe."

They didn't say anything the rest of the night, eventually falling back to sleep. Aerith couldn't help but think that her attempt at girl talk hadn't been entirely successful.

*7*7*

_Found... looking for... now... hear me? ... not supposed... _

*7*7*

"Tifa!"

Cloud ran forward but was a moment too late. The pink, vaguely humanoid madouge hit Tifa squarely in the stomach with its ball and chain. She tumbled backward into Cloud's arms, unconscious.

Again he felt that now familiar pop and rush of power associated with a limit break. Silently, he handed Tifa over to Aerith and charged the monster. His body started to glow blue. The attack this time was different, two intersecting slashes that exploded, leaving very little of the monster left.

"Tifa!" Cloud spun around but before he could take one step back to where Tifa lay he felt something like wind flow through his body. It tingled like a cure spell. Looking ahead he saw Aerith float barely an inch from the ground then settle back to standing. At her feet, Tifa groaned.

Aerith smiled. "Tifa's going to be fine."

Cloud's only reply was a single nod. He didn't even approach Tifa or Aerith. Rather, he took a few steps further down the tunnel they'd been following.

"That's a pretty rare sort of limit break you have," Kunsel said. He started to wonder if everyone in their little group had a limit break or two.

"You think so?"

Barret spoke up. "Dunno about rare, but it sure is handy. Damn. There ain't even a bruise left."

Zack stepped over to where Cloud seemed to be contemplating the wall. "Hey, you doing okay?"

Cloud started to nod, but shook his head. He clenched his fists. "Damn it." He punched the wall, sending cracks spider-webbing out. "I still can't protect her."

"No one can protect someone from everything," Zack said.

"You can."

"No I can't." Zack gripped Cloud's shoulders, forcing the smaller man to face him. Cloud was surprised to seem Zack look so serious, almost angry. "There are a lot of people I couldn't protect. I couldn't stop Angeal from succumbing to degradation. I couldn't stop Sephiroth from burning down Nibelheim or hurting Tifa, or even almost killing you. You were the one who defeated him, remember? I couldn't do anything then."

"But I..."

"But nothing! You may not have protected her this time, but she's still safe. Maybe safer than she would have been if you hadn't killed that monster. Remember that. Even if you can't protect her all the time you can and have protected her."

Cloud took a deep breath. "That's not easy."

Zack clapped a hand on Cloud's shoulder. "Let's make it a bit easier and scout out the tunnels ahead. Then we can be better prepared when everyone else comes."

*7*7*

Red growled, a familiar scent reaching his nose through the stench of battle and companions who hadn't bathed in far too long. They had just entered a large cavern draped in roots that seeped through cracks in the walls. Soon, the others could see what Red smelled.

Tseng stepped out from a tunnel hidden by a particularly large curtain of roots. He stood there, scanning the group until his eyes settled on one pair of large green eyes.

"Hello, Aerith."

Zack stepped in front of Aerith, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "You aren't taking her."

"I don't plan to. With Sephiroth on the loose, ShinRa has other things to concern itself with."

Kunsel stepped forward. "So it's true, Sephiroth is alive."

Tseng nodded. "The Turks have been ordered to find him. If you know what's good for you, you'll stay out of our way." He turned to leave but stopped. "Aerith, I won't be seeing too much of you, so take care."

Aerith's eyes narrowed as she looked up at Tseng. "Strange, hearing that from you."

"Well then, stay out of ShinRa's way." With that, Tseng left.

Zack relaxed a little. "Did anyone else get the impression that he was trying to help us?"

Barret snorted. "If he was tryin' to help, he'd tell us where Sephiroth was headed, wou'n't he?"

"Not necessarily," Kunsel said, "since he doesn't want us to follow."

"Miss," Red said, turning to Aerith, "you seem to have some familiarity with the man we just encountered. Do you have any insight into his motives?"

"None at all." Aerith's tone said more that she'd just rather not discuss it.

*7*7*

It felt good to finally be outside again. The tunnel Tseng disappeared down led to the entrance of the old mine. A narrow path sloped down before vanishing into the plains that spread out to the west and south.

"Where to now?" Kunsel glanced about, trying to find any sort of clue. He did notice a flattened bit of grass nearby where he guessed a helicopter landed.

"Where Sephiroth is headed!" Barret bellowed. "I don' care what that Turk says, ain't no way we're givin' up now."

"Yeah, but where is that?" Zack looked to the sky as if hoping he might catch a glimpse of the helicopter Tseng took. He shook his head. "It's getting late. Let's make camp and try to figure out what to do next in the morning."

Barret grumbled, but agreed along with everyone else. Though they still had no leads when they woke up the next morning. Staying was getting them nowhere, but where should they go? Where would Sephiroth go? At the moment it seemed as if he was just going in a big circle around the continent. After all, if there was anything he wanted in the southern plains it would have been easier to take one of the highways straight south from Midgar.

"It's like he wanted us to follow him," Kunsel finally said.

Aerith looked up. "Is this about the zolom again?"

"No, I mean all of his actions. Think about it. He didn't have to go to Kalm, but he let himself be seen there. Then he was spotted again near the chocobo farm just before we arrived. He left another place marker near the caves."

Zack nodded. "So you're saying it's not so much a matter of where he's going as where he's leading us to."

"Ya mean we've been doin' jes' what he wanted this whole time?"

Red closed his eye. "So it would seem. The question now is if Sephiroth will continue to lay a trail for us, and to where."

"I dun' like it." Barret crossed his arms. "He's been leading us around by the nose and everyone's fine wi' that?"

"No."

Everyone turned to Cloud, he hadn't said a word all morning so even that one word took them by surprise. He just continued to glare at the ground.

"He's laughing at us," Cloud finally said. "He's dragged us around for a week and now he's laughing at us."

"Well, he's just going to laugh more if we stay here." Zack stretched before standing up. "There's got to be a road around here someplace. Let's see if we can pick up his trail again."

Kunsel stood up, too. "Which way?"

"Hmm. West," Zack said. "There's not much to the south besides Fort Condor. To the west there's Junon."

*7*7*

"We're being watched." Kunsel's voice was barely a whisper. Even though Zack stood right next to him, the other man might not have heard if he hadn't been SOLDIER.

Zack nodded. "So you noticed, too?"

"Yeah. Cloud looks a bit more on edge than usual, so he probably has, too."

Red stopped, sniffing at the air and his one eye examining the trees surrounding the path.

"And that confirms it," Zack said at normal volume. "Okay, we know you're there. No point hiding anymore."

"You only know I'm here because I want you to know!" A surprisingly young, female voice echoed through the forest. To go with the voice, a small, skinny, yet still obviously female body dropped from the trees in front of them. She held an over-sized shuriken in front of her like a shield. "Your materia will be mine!"

That accent, the obviously Wutanese features, the attitude, everything about her hit Zack like a freight train. A shorter version of her in a green training gi dragged him on nearly half a dozen wild goose chases years ago.

"YOU!" Zack yelled. "The crazy kid from Wutai!"

"YOU!" the girl echoed. "The ugly SOLDIER guy who destroyed my home!"

"'Ugly SOLDIER guy'?" Aerith held back a laugh in part because of the second half of the girl's sentence. Also, it would be rather rude.

Kunsel looked from Zack to their mystery girl. Both stood with fingers pointed to the other in an all too comic fashion. "Um, you know each other?"

"This is the kid who spammed SOLDIER with info on a treasure hunt!"

"I'm rebuilding Wutai to its former glory! You SOLDIERs want to fight me, fine. I'll beat all of you!"

"That's not necessary." Aerith stepped forward, her staff slung behind her so she could hold her empty hands out in front of her. "We don't want to fight you, right, Zack?"

"Yeah." Zack started to relax a little.

The girl just smiled. "Of course not! You're scared 'cause you know you'll get your butts kicked."

"Hey!" Barret would have stepped forward if Zack hadn't placed an arm in his path.

"Yeah, petrified." Zack's voice stayed flat so anyone could tell he didn't mean what he said.

Except the girl, apparently. "Ha! I knew it! Well, if you're too chicken to fight then I'll just be going."

She turned to leave when Aerith stopped her. "Wait!"

"What?" The girl turned, beaming. "You want me to come with, right?"

"Uh, well..." Aerith looked back at their group. No one looked too thrilled with the idea. "Yes."

The girl danced around. "That's great! I'll show you just how awesome I am so you won't regret it. I come from a long line of ninjas, so I can take on any monster you throw at me."

Zack shook his head. "Let's just get going."

Everyone almost passed the girl before she noticed. "Hey! What's the rush? Aren't you going to ask my name? It's Yuffie! The Great Ninja, Yuffie Kisaragi!"

_I'm skipping the Fort Condor mini-games because, well, that's what I do when I play FFVII and I'm not at all sure how to describe the things in-story. I'll have to figure something out later, obviously. In the meantime, it's Yuffie! Yay!_


	23. Junon

**Chapter Twenty-Two - Junon**

They reached the outskirts of Junon the next afternoon. After a rather lively discussion they finally agreed to enter the lower level of the town in groups. Tifa, Yuffie, and Red went in first. An hour later, Aerith followed with Barret. Cloud, Zack, and Kunsel were to come later, hopefully looking like a normal patrol of seconds. It wasn't terribly subtle, but they hoped the residents of Lower Junon were about as likely to report suspicious activity as most people from Midgar's slums.

It might even have worked, if not for extenuating circumstances.

The SOLDIERs were having a three-way sparring match when Aerith ran up the hill toward them. Zack's idea, Cloud at the least needed practice facing multiple opponents.

"Zack!" she yelled as best she could from overworked lungs. "There's a huge flying sea serpent attacking the beach! A little girl is in the water and we can't get to her and just about everyone is trapped in these bubbles and... Oh, Zack! I don't think they're going to make it!"

They were already running by the time she mentioned the little girl. Zack scooped Aerith up so she wouldn't be left behind.

Zack was about to ask Aerith which way to the beach, but that proved unnecessary. The screaming, pointing, and fleeing made the path rather obvious.

"Stay here," Zack said, putting Aerith down near the top of the stairs. "We'll take care of this."

Aerith didn't protest as the SOLDIERs raced toward the monster.

As Aerith described, the serpent was flying just about the surf. Laying on the beach, encased in thick bubbles, were Tifa, Barret, and Yuffie. Red continued to dodge attacks, but the only materia he had equipped were sense and earth. Neither were of any use in this fight.

Ice tore through the bubbles, leaving their captives to fall to their knees gasping for breath. Zack gave Kunsel a thumbs up for his quick thinking. Cloud raced ahead, putting himself between Tifa and the monster.

"It's a deepswell," Kunsel said as he and Zack joined up with the others. "It's hard to hit but fairly susceptible to magic. The big problem is if it senses it's about to get beaten it'll summon a huge wave to take its attackers down with it."

"Great." Zack blocked a swipe from the deepswell's tail.

*7*7*

Tifa coughed up bits of gelatinous blue ooze. She squinted in the overly bright light before something large blocked the sun. Something wearing baggy, maroon pants and combat boots.

Looking further up she saw more maroon as well as bare, leanly muscled arms and a shock of spiky yellow hair. Cloud was standing over her. Even though she couldn't see his face, his posture told her he'd die before letting anything hurt her.

She didn't want him to die for her.

Maybe he heard her, though she was still having a hard time hearing anything. Probably some of that gelled sea water got in her ears, too. Whatever the case, he suddenly replaced his sword, spun around, and scooped her up in his arms.

A gasp managed to fight it's way passed her lips. Cloud ran up the beach with her as if she weighed nothing. She clung to him and again she gasped. The muscles moving under his skin felt like warm stone, smooth and hard. She didn't think muscle could get that hard. At least, not in humans.

The thought barely crossed her mind when Cloud set her gently on the ground near Aerith.

"She needs healing," he said. Tifa was just relieved she could hear again.

Nearby, Yuffie complained about getting taken away from the action. Kunsel ignored her as he returned to the beach along with Cloud.

Tifa watched the fight below her. Barret, still dazed but well enough to use his gun-arm, pumped lead into the armored underbelly of the monster. Zack used lightning. Cloud ran up behind, firing slow but carefully aimed shots at the monster's head.

"Watch out!" Kunsel yelled.

A huge mound of water rose behind the creature, reminding Tifa of the Don's Aps. The wall of water slammed into those still on the beach. When the waters retreated the monster was gone. Somehow, the SOLDIERs were still standing.

Barret jumped up. "The kid!" He ran forward but Zack was faster and closer.

Zack gingerly lifted the tiny, limp form out of the oddly purple water. Villagers started gathering near the stairs. Aerith and the other girls were already on the rocky beach, frightened by the sad look in Zack's eyes.

Kunsel removed a glove and felt along the girl's neck. "Her heart's going, but just barely. We need to get her breathing again." He looked back at the gathering crowd. "Hey! Anyone here know CPR?"

"Don't you SOLDIER dudes get taught that?" Yuffie said, trying but not quite succeeding at looking tough.

"We do," Kunsel said, "but for treating other SOLDIERs. We'd probably do more harm than good for a normal person, especially someone this small."

"I'll try, then," Tifa said. "Just tell me what to do."

*7*7*

Cloud kept watch on his feet, barely listening to Kunsel's instructions as Tifa tried to revive the little girl. His thoughts were on what Kunsel said. _We'd probably do more harm than good for a normal person._

So was fighting all he could do now? He couldn't save lives, only take them? He remembered how light Tifa felt when he carried her. It would have been so easy to accidentally crush her.

A firm hand on his shoulder interrupted those morbid thoughts. Cloud looked up to see Zack smiling but tired.

"She's going to be fine." Zack's smile widened to it's normal state, some of the tiredness leaving his face. "Her name's Priscilla. Aerith told me what happened. Kid's got a lot of spunk."

"That's great."

"Yeah." Zack rung out a corner of his shirt. "I don't know about you, but I'd like to change out of these wet clothes. Priscilla's aunt said we could use her house while we're here. Guess she wants to be with her niece."

*7*7*

The house reminded Cloud of Aerith's house. Not in appearance so much as feeling. It was warm, cozy, the sort of place that an older woman lived in after her children had grown but before she forgot what having children was like.

Tifa and the other girls went upstairs to the bathroom. Yuffie still had some wounds that needed tending to and the men were in the kitchen changing out of their wet clothes. From the noises coming from the stairs it seemed Yuffie was feeling well enough to try sneaking a peek. 'Sneaking' being a relative term in this case.

Soon everyone except Cloud had changed into clean, dry clothes and left to gather supplies and information. Kunsel had to borrow a shirt and pants from a neighbor.

Before leaving, Zack laid a hand on Cloud's shoulder. He was worried, Cloud had been more quiet than usual since the fight and now he was sitting on a stool staring at the black first class shirt he first started to wake up in.

"You doing okay?"

Cloud nodded once, not taking his eyes away from the shirt.

"We're going out for a bit. You want to come?"

Cloud shook his head.

"You sure?"

Nod.

"Fine. See you later." Even though it was pretty obvious something was bothering Cloud, Zack decided there wasn't any point in digging if his friend wouldn't even talk.

Minutes passed and Cloud slowly became aware of music drifting through the walls. Soon after he heard a knock on the kitchen door.

"Are you decent?" Tifa's voice.

Cloud glanced down at himself. Well, he was wearing pants. "Uh, yeah. I guess."

Tifa opened the door slowly before stepping in. "There's something going on in the upper city and..."

Cloud looked up at her then down at himself, trying to figure out why she had stopped mid-sentence like that. As far as he was concerned there wasn't anything terribly remarkable to look at. The surgical scars courtesy of Hojo were nearly invisible thanks to the modifications that made his body heal so fast. Except for that one scar just below his breast bone.

He quickly covered it with a hand and continued to face Tifa, knowing he had a matching one on his back. Only now Tifa wasn't looking at him. She found something far more interesting on the floor.

"Is that... where Sephiroth...?"

"Yeah."

She looked up just in time to see him tense. The nervous reaction tightened the already well defined muscles of his abdomen. Tifa suddenly spun around, already stepping through the open doorway. "Well, when you're ready, I think Zack wants to try getting to Upper Junon."

The door closed behind her before Cloud realized he had never had his shirt off around Tifa before. Granted, guys could, and did, walk around in public without shirts on, but it was still a first. He turned pink as he fumbled with his shirt.

Outside the music was a bit easier to hear. Though Cloud guessed it was just barely audible to those who didn't have mako running through their systems. The rest of the group stood with some villagers at the foot of a wooden staircase that led to a house on stilts.

Zack waved him over. "Hey! Cloud! Priscilla's awake!"

"Good."

"While it is good that the child has regained consciousness," Red said, looking somewhat miffed, though whether it was the conversation or the fact that he was still damp couldn't be determined, "shouldn't we focus more on what's happening above?"

Kunsel nodded. Cloud noted that he didn't have his helmet on. It seemed a bit weird. "It sounds like the presidential march, so Rufus is probably here for some reason," Kunsel said.

"The President?" Barret bellowed. "I gotta pay my respects."

"Uh, sure," Kunsel said. "We have to find a way up there, first."

Zack looked down the street toward the upper city's supports. "There should be an elevator down there. If I'm remembering right it'll come up just inside the military base near the garage. With all the fuss over the President, that area will probably be nearly deserted."

"That's great. But in case you haven't noticed, some of our group aren't exactly inconspicuous." Kunsel motioned particularly at Barret and Red.

Zack scratched the back of his head, looking from one side to the other hoping some answer would pop out of the dilapidated houses.

"How did you get into ShinRa?"

Everyone turned to look at Aerith. Despite the situation, Zack couldn't help a chuckle. Barret frowned.

"I ain't sittin' in no crate again."

Both Aerith and Zack laughed at this. Zack at the memory and Aerith at the mental image. Cloud managed a ghost of a smile.

Any further discussion of plans was interrupted by little Priscilla bouncing down the stairs to thank everyone for saving her life.

"I have something for you!" she said after everyone acknowledged her spoken thanks. "It's a treasure!"

Yuffie shrieked at the tarnished amulet Priscilla held. In the center of a small brass plate glowed a red ball a little larger than a marble. "MINE!"

"Yuffie!" Tifa bopped the teenager on the head before she had a chance to dive for the offered trinket. "We can't just take it."

"But, but it's materia! And she's giving it to us!"

"That doesn't mean we're going to accept it."

Zack leaned closer to look at the amulet. "That's a great treasure you have there. We'd be more than happy to take it."

"What?"

"Told you!"

"Zack!"

Zack shrugged as he straightened up. "It's summon materia. Way too dangerous to let sit around in a kid's jewelry box."

Priscilla looked up at the adults. "What's summon materia?"

"It make spirits appear and attack stuff," Zack said. Not the best possible explanation, but he really wasn't certain how much the kid would understand and he didn't want to make it sound too cool, either.

Cloud blinked. That explanation sounded more like the way _he'd_ describe the materia. Hearing something that terse coming from Zack of all people... Well, he half expected to hear ShinRa was dismantling mako reactors.

Kunsel fought down the urge to question how a kid in a poor fishing village came to possess materia of any sort. Instead he tried to get everyone back to the task of figuring out how to get to Upper Junon. Not an easy thing to do, especially since Zack, Tifa, and Aerith were trying to keep Yuffie from getting a hold of the materia.

This ragtag bunch of misfits was going to take down ShinRa?

*7*7*

Thank goodness for narrowly focused security and apathetic citizens. They were even able to sell their SOLDIER helmets for enough money for clothes and some decent supplies with plenty of gil left over. What the store clerk thought he'd be able to do with the helmets Kunsel didn't even want to imagine. At least they could blend in a bit better, though Barret carrying his gun-arm in a sling was just barely convincing.

Kunsel sighed. _What have I gotten myself into?_

To everyone except the SOLDIERs, and possibly Red, the music filled the streets and alleys with no discernible source, the sound echoing off of the tall metal buildings.

"Sounds like the party's moved to the harbor," Zack said, leading them down the main avenue.

Yuffie walked next to Tifa, her hands behind her head and looking entirely too relaxed. She'd also staunchly refused to change clothes. The green crop top and beige hot pants weren't really a problem, it was the cumbersome-looking... armor?... that covered her left arm. Then again, it wasn't any more noticeable than a wolf/lion with a flaming tail or a man with a four-foot sword strapped to his back.

"Man," Yuffie said, "you are lucky."

Tifa blinked. "What?"

"Oh come on." Yuffie gestured with her unarmored right hand, apparently not caring if anyone noticed. "You've been traveling the world with a bunch of hot guys. Haven't you noticed?"

"Well, I..." Tifa could feel her face turning red. Couldn't Yuffie have this conversation with Aerith? At least she was dating one of those 'hot guys.' "Didn't you call one of them an 'ugly SOLDIER guy'?"

"Pff. Sure, when I thought he might still be working for ShinRa. What about short, blond, and quiet? He should seriously smile more. I've seen him smile a total of once in the last two days and it made him look super cute. Come to think of it, he was looking at you at the time. You two dating or something?"

Tifa's face was definitely red by this point. "What? No! We're just friends! We've known each other since we were kids."

"So that means he's available, right?"

"I think he might be a little old for you."

Yuffie pouted. "You're no fun."

"Can we please talk about something else?"

"Sheesh, fine." Under her breath, Yuffie muttered, "What kind of girl doesn't want to talk about boys?"

_Yes, I'm having Yuffie crush a bit on Cloud. What? She is one of the date options later in the game._

_And Kunsel has a very good point. How did Pricilla get her hands on a summon materia?_

_Skipping the whole jumping dolphin thing because it's silly, even if it is kinda fun in-game. But wouldn't it be easier to just knock out the one guard at the elevator? Then there's the CPR game that ignores that you're supposed to do chest compressions. I've often wondered how well someone with superstrength would do with that. He'd have to be awfully careful._

_Speaking of Cloud, I have a few theories running through my head, but I want to hear what my readers think first before expanding on any one of them. What is Cloud? I mean before the 'enhancements' and all. Like Kunsel mentioned a few chapters back, normal humans shouldn't be able to do the things he did. Any thoughts?_


	24. Motion of the Ocean

**Chapter Twenty-Three - Motion of the Ocean**

Memories were usually painful for Cloud, but somehow the memories that Junon brought back for him were pleasant despite the circumstances. The city had been under attack and the squad Cloud belonged to raced to the city in one of the cramped helicopters ShinRa used for troop transport. The ordeal left Cloud so sick he'd left his lunch and most of his breakfast on the previously stainless base floor. He remained woozy and useless for most of the mission. His so-called team mates hated him, he was fairly certain the janitors hated him, too. Even a few SOLDIERs took the time to scold him for his uselessness.

The only person who didn't hate him was Zack. More than that, Zack showed concern, he wanted to help, even offered to take the horribly green infantryman out to eat. The thought of food made Cloud's stomach churn even worse, but he knew the SOLDIER meant well.

Cloud managed a small smile. Zack had even ordered the troopers who invited themselves along to look after him.

He wasn't used to having friends, but he felt that this must be what it was like.

"What? No! We're just friends!"

Cloud's heart sank when he heard Tifa's voice. He didn't quite know why, wasn't he just thinking how nice it was to have friends? But somehow coming from Tifa it hurt. He'd left Nibelheim to impress her. He wanted to be her friend, but more than that... No. He couldn't ask her to love him. Not when he didn't even know what he was.

_SOLDIER is a den of monsters. Don't go inside._

_You're Cloud Strife, SOLDIER._

Was he? He didn't remember much from the last five years, and what he could remember seemed too horrible to be real. What were SOLDIERs? He thought he knew, but now...

He wished he had Zack's confidence. He wished he didn't have these doubts. More than that, he wished he knew he was human.

*7*7*

They arrived at the docks just in time to bear witness to Heidegger's infamous temper being let loose on some unlucky trooper. Both Cloud and Zack had to suppress the urge to rush to the man's aid. It sickened them slightly that they were using the terrible incident as a distraction to sneak aboard the ship the other troopers were supposed to be guarding.

No one noticed the oddly armed band of deckhands (plus one bear in a marshmallow costume) march into the cargo hold with crates and a lion/wolf thing in tow.

"Ugh," Yuffie said the instant they were more-or-less safely on board. "I hate boats."

"Ya can git off, then," Barret said.

Zack shared some of Barret's dislike for Yuffie, but he also agreed with Aerith that they couldn't just leave the kid to get herself killed by monsters or ShinRa. She'd been pretty lucky as a nine-year-old but that luck was bound to wear off sooner or later. At least this way they could keep an eye on her.

Cloud seemed to volunteer himself for the moment. He even willingly put a hand on Yuffie's tiny shoulder. "Motion sick?"

"How would you know?"

"I... know the feeling."

Zack closed his eyes, remembering the horrible shade of green Cloud had turned by the time he'd found him in one of the few safe zones last time they visited Junon. The thought almost made him sick in sympathy, and Zack never got motion sickness.

Yuffie looked up at Cloud in something akin to awe before her face closed down. "Yeah right. You're probably one of those people who just can't read in the car. I'll be barfing up guts while you're off enjoying the scenery."

Cloud shook his head. "I think I'll see if there's a janitor's closet with a couple spare buckets."

As Cloud walked off, the look of awe returned to Yuffie's face. "He's serious, isn't he?"

"Yeah," Zack said. "I'm not sure what it's like now, but he was pretty bad off a few years ago." He seriously doubted the modifications cured Cloud's motion sickness, but considering all the other changes it was a possibility.

He wasn't entirely wrong, either. Barely an hour into the voyage Yuffie had her head bent over her bucket, groaning and offering death threats to anyone who dared approach her. Cloud sat nearby, slightly pale but otherwise unaffected.

"Come," Cloud said, offering Yuffie a hand. "Sometimes moving around helps."

"Oog. I'd rather not. Oh, I think I'm going to be sick. Sicker." She looked up at him with angry, accusing eyes. "I thought you said you get motion sickness."

"It's worse in enclosed spaces, like trucks. If I can move around it's not as bad."

She finally took his hand and let him help her up. "I guess it's worth a try. So, what, we just walk around or something?"

"Yeah."

They paced the rows of boxes for a while, Yuffie letting out a constant stream of complaints while Cloud just nodded and occasionally offered a word or two of encouragement. The only break in Cloud's stoic expression came when a particularly violent wave would force both of them back to their buckets.

"You know," Yuffie said, finally tired of bouncing off Cloud's mental defenses, "I've never heard of a SOLDIER getting motion sickness."

"I never made SOLDIER."

"Huh?" Her own churning stomach forgotten as she examined Cloud's face. "You're messing with me, right? 'Cause I know mako eyes when I see them and the only people with eyes like that are SOLDIERs."

"I'm serious."

"Then what are you?"

Cloud looked at her, eyes wide. The question surprised him. He felt like he should be bothered, or something, but nothing came. "I... I don't know."

"Weirdo." They walked in silence for a while until Yuffie spoke again. "Hey, thanks for, ya know, not telling me to just get over it or anything like that."

"It's nothing."

"It is so something!" Yuffie jumped ahead of him, blocking his path. She also started to turn green and had to prop herself against a crate before continuing. "You have any idea what it's like being a ninja who gets motion sickness? It's the worst kind of humiliating ever! If I wasn't totally awesome at everything else I'd probably be a laughing stock back home."

"I guess even the best have to have a weakness."

Yuffie studied him for any hint of sarcasm or derision. There wasn't any to find. He was honest, serious, and increasingly nervous over the way she looked at him. She shook her head. A mistake since that brought a new wave of dizziness over her. "Ugh. You are really weird."

"Sorry?"

"It's not a bad thing, necessarily." She waved off his apology. "Just not what anyone would expect. Sometimes the unexpected is the best."

For the second time since they met, Cloud managed a faint smile.

*7*7*

The next day Yuffie felt too sick for another walk. Cloud had gone from pale to light green. Aerith tried to help them both but Yuffie stubbornly refused sympathy from anyone other than Cloud and Cloud insisted that he was fine.

Tifa rolled her eyes. "She's so childish."

"Well, she is a child," Aerith said. A giggle escaped her mouth a moment later. "Or are you jealous?"

"J-jealous? Of what?"

Kunsel and Red looked up from their conversation when Aerith's giggling went up in volume.

"You'd think she didn't realize we're running for our lives."

Red closed his eye briefly. "I think she is attempting to prevent the rest of us from dwelling too long on our situation."

"Yeah." Kunsel managed a smile. "You're rather insightful."

"Perhaps."

"Well, what do you think of Yuffie?"

Red huffed. "She is a child far too used to getting her way. Still, she held her weapon with the confidence of one well trained in its use."

"So she's probably from some wealthy family." Kunsel nodded. He'd come to a similar conclusion, especially since her family name was Kisaragi. "What about Cloud?"

If Red had eyebrows, they probably would have been raised. "This is not idle conversation. You are seeing if my evaluation of our companions matches yours."

"And seeing if there's anything you noticed that I missed. I like to know who I'm working with."

"That seems wise." Red fell silent for a moment. "Cloud is hard to describe. There is much about him that seems to contradict the rest. Yet these contradictions do not seem to be intentional. He seems to be a kind and honest person."

Kunsel leaned back to contemplate the ceiling. "A mass of contradictions. Yeah, that pretty much sums him up."

"You seem like a person who does not like unanswered questions."

Kunsel's eyes snapped back to Red, surprised that he offered information without being asked. "Uh, yeah."

"Hmm. It is possible the questions surrounding Cloud cannot be answered. You would be well advised to exert your energies elsewhere."

"Yeah. That could be a lot harder than you make it sound."

The conversation might have continued after that except Zack vaulted the stairs from the deck to land nearly on top of them.

"What the-! Zack! Wha-"

"No time! We gotta move! Now!"

Somewhere above Barret's cursing, Aerith's concerned murmurs, and Yuffie's groaning Kunsel could hear the shouts of deckhands and security.

"Do you people know how to be quiet?" Kunsel's voice grated through his teeth.

Finally they ducked into the shelter of even more crates in the far corner of the hold. For several moments the only sounds came from Yuffie trying not to retch and whatever scuffle was going on above them.

Zack took a deep breath. "Well, I guess we _weren't_ the stowaway they found."

"So someone else snuck aboard?" Aerith's eyes widened, more confused than anything.

Barret voiced everyone's unspoken question. "Who the hell'd be crazy enough to try that?"

"Besides us?" Kunsel said.

The sounds of frantic searching ceased, replaced by just barely human screams. Everyone froze, the blood choked sounds didn't come from above but from somewhere within the cargo hold.

"Sephiroth," Cloud breathed. His hand reached for his sword while every muscle in his body tensed.

Zack nodded. "Cloud, Kunsel, and I will check what's going on. The rest of you stay here and stay out of sight if at all possible."

"Zack..." Anything else Aerith might have said was cut off by Zack's fingers on her lips.

"We have the best chance again Sephiroth. Don't worry, I don't plan on dying any time soon."

Zack could pull off confidence when going up to face the best the SOLDIER program ever produced. All Kunsel could do was wish he still had his helmet, not that it'd do much good against Sephiroth. Part of him felt honored that Zack included him among those who could take on the war-hero turned nightmare. Another part just felt terrified and sure that Zack was overestimating him.

What made it worse was how well Cloud seemed to be taking all this. Sure, his first response had been to grab his sword, but that was the sort of thing a person did when told there were landworms in the basement. Maybe it helped that Cloud had already killed Sephiroth once. Or maybe that look of determination and barely contained rage was a mask hiding almost overwhelming fear.

Maybe both.

Whatever the case, the three SOLDIERs crept toward the fading sounds of the dying.

*7*7*

Since when could Sephiroth walk through walls? Possibly one of the dumbest questions to ask at a time like this, but it was the first thing that came to mind when Sephiroth appeared before them in the engine room. Zack just hoped he wasn't the only one who noticed that.

"After a long sleep the time has come."

"Sephiroth!" Zack screamed.

The silver-haired demon's eyes glanced only briefly on Zack, instead resting on Cloud and Kunsel. "Who are you?"

Fear finally started to seep into Cloud's features as he stammered around an answer.

"Sephiroth, look at me!" Zack had the Buster out and was two paces from grabbing Sephiroth by the collar and shaking him. "What are you doing?" Maybe, just maybe, as long as Sephiroth didn't attack them, there was a chance he could reason with the former hero. "What are you thinking?"

Useless. Sephiroth didn't even seem to hear him. "The time... is now..."

"What are you talking about?"

Since when could Sephiroth _float_?

None of them had time to ponder the question as something dropped to the floor as Sephiroth passed. The thing bubbled and grew tentacles, a bloated body, and what could loosely be called a head in a frightening amount of time. Equally frightening was how big it grew, easily twice Zack's height and filling much of the double-level engine room.

And the thing smelled horrible, like a rotting corpse only worse. It looked like a rotting corpse, all pink and purple with a sick grey tinge over everything. The only recognizable thing about it was the wing-like projection that bubbled out of its right shoulder. And that only vaguely.

"Jenova." Zack just managed to dodge a laser of some sort from one of its tenticles.

Cloud wasn't so lucky, but managed to stay standing, only pushed back a few feet.

Kunsel yelled as he leaped into an attack. A laser struck him in the chest, knocking him to the floor but leaving him otherwise uninjured. He shook himself and struck at the long tenticle curled up on the floor.

Jenova screamed. Zack took the distraction to power up a limit break. His body glowed golden as he sheathed his sword. In a moment he was gone, reappearing to Jenova's right with three explosive punches. Again he vanished and reappeared, and again only this last time diving in for a single megaton punch.

Cloud, meanwhile, tried to take out the tentacle firing off the lasers. He came close several times, managing to damage the wing-like projection but always missing the tentacle because he had to dodge at the last second. With a cry of frustration he abandoned all thought of self-defense and simply charged.

The tentacle laying on the floor reared up, releasing crackling blue energy that blasted Cloud backward into the wall. And very nearly out the other side.

Cloud grunted as he pulled himself out of the hole. His sword and arms started to glow so intensely there almost seemed to be blue fire encasing them. He jumped, rebounded off the ceiling, and buried his sword in Jenova's right shoulder. The blue flames faded as he struggled to completely remove the wing at its base.

Kunsel had been standing a little too close when Cloud got thrown into the wall. He resisted rubbing the bump on his head as he disappeared in a blur of movement.

The next moment a bloody gash opened in Jenova's side and Kunsel reappeared just behind the monster.

"CLOUD!"

Cloud jumped back at Zack's yell. Fire exploded in the shoulder wound.

Jenova shrieked, lashing out in all directions. Fire that had nothing to do with materia erupted from shattered equipment.

Kunsel jumped up as a tank near him exploded. He flipped backward and landed on a catwalk level with Jenova's left shoulder.

Lowering his sword, Kunsel focused on the materia he kept equipped for emergencies. Lightning arched from his left fist at Jenova's head.

Tentacles and lasers lashed out. Kunsel jumped across the room moments before the catwalk collapsed.

A tentacle tried to smash Cloud into a wall, or perhaps some flaming machinery. Cloud sliced the writhing mass of flesh off the main body.

Another shriek. Noxious smelling green gas oozed from under the lowest mass of tentacles.

Poison.

Zack 'Limit Break For Every Occasion' Fair knew he could counteract this if he could just focus long enough to build the energy for it.

Then again, the cloud of poison gas hadn't quite dissipated yet, so maybe it was just as well. He wouldn't have to explain how he picked up one of Aerith's limit breaks, either.

Blue flames broke through the green as Cloud released another limit break. Two cross slashes blasted open a jagged wound just below Jenova's head.

Zack and Kunsel nodded to each other. Simultaneous bursts of fire and lightning exploded in the new wound.

Another scream as Jenova tumbled into the broken machinery. Black puss bubbled from its wounds until it dissolved down to a mockery of a human arm. It stayed like that long enough for the three SOLDIERs to realize what it was before collapsing into dust.

Zack took a deep breath of the swiftly clearing air as he surveyed the damage. The engine room was a disaster. Blood and whatever that black pus was covered everything that wasn't on fire. Cloud sported several cuts, burns, and might even have a cracked rib or two from the way he was breathing. Kunsel had a large burn down his left arm and a trail of blood running down his scalp. Zack didn't bother taking an inventory of his own wounds. They were all suffering from the poison.

"If there's any security left they'll probably be down here pretty soon," Kunsel said. "We should get out of here, anyway, before the engines blow."

Zack nodded. "First, we should heal up a bit." If nothing else, he wanted to make sure they didn't suffer too much internal damage before walking much further. Then there was the whole poison thing. Guess he'd have to use that limit break after all.

He stabbed the Buster into the floor and clapped his hands together. Golden light turned warm green as it poured out of him like a wave, briefly encasing his friends before fading.

Zack didn't wait to see the surprised, shocked, looks on his friends faces. By the time either started moving again he'd already stepped out the door.

* * *

_Anyone else wonder why the ship wasn't seriously damaged in this boss fight? I mean, they were in the engine room! I also left out Jenova's ability to cast Stop because I have no idea how to describe the effects of that spell. I am, however, having a lot of fun describing limit breaks. Perhaps I should use them more often._


	25. Western Road

Disclaimer: Don't own. Don't sue. Honestly, is Squeenix really going to notice this?

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Four - Western Road**

Not one minute after reuniting with the rest of their panicked band, alarms started flashing and blaring all over the ship. A mechanical voice said something about breached fuel tanks and emergency procedures. No one really listened, they knew what it meant.

"We have to find a lifeboat!" Zack grabbed Aerith's hand as everyone ran for the stairs. "Stick together!"

Thankfully, the remaining crew members were too busy saving their own lives to notice or care about the odd band of stowaways. The ship listed as they tried to scramble toward where there should be at least one lifeboat.

Thank goodness for standardization.

Kunsel reached the lifeboat first. He ripped the tarp off just before Cloud arrived carrying a very green Yuffie. After making sure Yuffie was secure, Cloud turned back to help Tifa into the boat. Red leaped over them, settling in the stern.

Barret grunted as he pulled himself over the side of the lifeboat. The ship listed further away from their side. Distantly, Cloud heard explosions from the engine room.

Zack and Aerith arrived last. Aerith stumbled as the ship lurched. Zack pushed her ahead and Cloud caught her hand. Cloud lifted her up to Kunsel. Zack jumped the rest of the way.

Cloud had barely let go of Aerith when an explosion snapped him back off his feet. He heard Tifa cry out as he tumbled down the deck.

"Start lowering the boat!" Zack removed his sword and jumped back onto the lurching vessel.

Cloud managed to grab the railing before he could fall completely off the ship. Above him he saw Zack half run half slide toward him.

"Zack! No! Get back to the lifeboat!"

"Not without you!"

Another explosion. Flame erupted from a hole not two yards from where Cloud hung. The metal railing screamed and twisted as Cloud pulled himself up. Zack grabbed him by the arm and pulled him the rest of the way onto the deck. They both looked up at the smooth slope between them and where the lifeboat had been.

"Hey," Zack said, "how are you at swimming?"

*7*7*

"We have to go back for them!" Tifa nearly stood up before she remembered where exactly she was.

Barret and Kunsel rowed the lifeboat away from the wrecked cruise ship and the other lifeboats. Aerith held Tifa's hand while Yuffie leaned over the side, chumming the water. Red sat as far away from the sea sick ninja as possible.

Kunsel sighed. "We will. As soon as we're a safe distance and the ship's finished sinking we'll circle around and..."

"What if they're still on the ship when it sinks?"

Aerith tried to smile, even though the same question rose in her mind. "I'm sure they'll be all right."

"Yeah," Barret said. "Those two won't die so easily."

Kunsel wanted to say something encouraging, too, but perpetual optimism was more Zack's thing. "We'll do our best, so try not to worry."

Worry came, anyway. Soon everyone worried. The ocean shifted and rippled without a hint of their missing companions.

"Maybe another lifeboat picked them up," Aerith said.

"Let's hope so." _And weren't shot on sight._ Kunsel kept the last half of his thoughts to himself. "Whatever the case, we better start heading for shore."

Barret swore loudly. "We gotta row all that way? My arm's 'bout to fall off jus' thinkin' 'bout it."

"The motor was damaged in our descent, we have no other choice." Red wrinkled his nose as Yuffie hurled a bit more of her lunch into the ocean.

"Easy fer you to say," Barret said. "You dun' have ta row."

"All of you just shut up and row already! Ugh. Why can't there be some materia that cures motion sickness?"

Kunsel smiled a bit at Yuffie's expense. Thankfully, the young ninja couldn't see him. "At least we can see the shore from here. We have something solid to aim for."

The rest of the voyage went much like that. Barret complained, Red avoided Yuffie or pointed out the obvious, Yuffie threw chunks, Tifa and Aerith tried to remain hopeful in the face of losing someone precious to them, and Kunsel tried to keep his increasingly frayed temper in check.

Hours passed like that, then most of a day. Finally, sometime around dawn, they hit a rocky beach a couple miles south of Costa Del Sol.

"LAND!" Yuffie threw herself at the ground, far too energetic for someone who'd spent the past 24 hours feeding the fish.

Kunsel made sure they didn't leave anything useful in the boat before setting it adrift. "We should move up the beach a bit and set up camp. We'll rest for a few hours then start looking for Zack and Cloud."

Yuffie curled up tighter on the rocks. "I'm not moving! I refuse!"

"Fine," Kunsel said. "You can stay here. But I think everyone else will want to sleep on something other than rocks."

"I could care little either way," Red said. "However, I agree that we should move from the shore. The tide will be rising in a few hours."

That got Yuffie moving, though it didn't stop her from complaining. She quickly got into an argument with Barret over the 'marshmallow suit.' Barret, in turn, seemed to find insult in just about everything Red said. Tifa tried to step in as peacekeeper, but ended up shouting just as loudly as everyone else. Even Aerith raised her voice.

Kunsel buried his face in his hands as the last shreds of his temper started to break away. He couldn't necessarily blame them, a lifeboat's not the most comfortable place to spend a day. Still, couldn't they at least try to behave like a team?

Something vibrating in his pocket broke Kunsel out of his thoughts. Someone was calling him?

"Hello?"

"Hey! Guess where we are!"

"Zack? What happened?" Kunsel forced himself not to get annoyed at Zack taking his and Cloud's disappearing act so lightly. At least the phone call got everyone else to shut up.

"A bit north of Costa Del Sol. We got picked up by some deck hands who mistook us for Rufus's bodyguards. Speaking of which, you better not be anywhere near the city. It's crawling with ShinRa goons."

"Got it. But how did you get away?"

"As soon as we got to a built up area we ditched our rescuers. It wasn't hard, they probably still think we left to find Rufus."

"Fine. So where should we meet?"

"Haven't thought that far ahead. Hmm. I suppose we should head west. Maybe cut through the mountains by Corel so we can pick up supplies."

"Corel? Zack, Corel's not there anymore."

"... What?"

Kunsel might have been imagining it, but Barret looked like he'd stiffened at the mention of Corel. "It was destroyed four years ago. Like Banora."

"Damn. What was their excuse this time?"

"Villagers supporting a rebel faction that blew up the mako reactor."

"tch Well, so much for that idea."

"Why did you want to go west, anyway?"

"I can only think of one place Sephiroth would want to go on this continent."

"Nibelheim."

"Yeah. I figured we could cut across the mountains, but if Corel's not there then we don't have anywhere to restock."

"I think some of the villagers may have started rebuilding a little north of the original site. There probably isn't much there, but I doubt anyone would turn down a chance to do business."

"Great! Okay, so we'll circle around Costa Del Sol and meet up on the western road."

*7*7*

"Where are they?" Tifa fiddled with her gloves as she looked up and down the road.

The early morning mist had long since burned off, leaving a clear view of the rolling hills and quiet roads leading away from Costa Del Sol. The road they stood on, the one leading to Mount Corel, lay empty except for the small band of rebels.

"They probably hit the road at a different point," Kunsel said, grunting slightly. Of course, he ended up lugging Zack's sword. The thing easily weighed ten times a standard issue SOLDIER sword. "We should keep walking west until we meet up with them."

Everyone else nodded, tired from walking most of the morning.

The afternoon came with slightly rougher hills and an encounter with a grangalan. Hours passed and they still didn't meet up with Zack and Cloud. Evening came and Kunsel agreed to call them.

"Hey! Where are you guys?"

Kunsel snorted. "Funny, that's what I was calling to ask you."

"We're on a mountain trail just off the road. There's a guy here who said he saw someone in a black cape walk by just a few hours ago."

"Sephiroth?"

"Probably. Anyway, the guy here says the way ahead is pretty dangerous. I'm thinking Cloud and I'll set up camp and wait for you here."

"Zack, all the supplies are with us. How are you going to set up camp?"

Zack laughed. "I'm a country boy, remember? Besides, I still have the fire materia so a campfire is no problem."

"Um. Right." Even a weak fire spell would be incredible overkill for lighting a campfire. Kunsel suspected Zack knew this, but also suspected that Zack didn't care. "We'll be there as soon as we can."

Once he got off the phone the rest of the party attacked him with questions.

"Are they all right?"

"Did they find Sephiroth?"

"Who is this Sephiroth guy, anyway?"

"Where are they?"

"Do they need our help?"

"Do you have to all talk at once?" Kunsel tried to back away. "They're fine, just a little way up the mountains, and no, they didn't find Sephiroth. There's somebody who might have seen him, though, so we're probably on the right track."

Yuffie jumped up and down. "So what are we waiting for! I'm going to show this Sephiroth whoever-he-is the great fighting strength of Wutai!"

Kunsel was going to go insane. "Uh, right. Just... Let's go."

*7*7*

They both woke up well before the sun, military training and icy rocks insisted. After two sets of standard drills their frozen limbs warmed up enough to start sparring in the pre-dawn light. They found a pair of thick branches to stand in for swords.

"Not bad! Your stance is a little wide, though."

"All right, try to keep up!"

"Come on! You can do it!"

Zack grinned as his words of encouragement pushed Cloud on. His friend was improving fast. Scary fast. In a month Cloud had gone from maybe third class to solidly second class. Zack had taken over a year to get that promotion.

Of course, Zack also hadn't had the possible fate of the world chasing him. He decided it wasn't important and focused on the match.

Just in time to feel the jolt of Cloud's swing run down his 'sword' and into his shoulder.

"Good." Zack jumped back just far enough so he could roll his shoulder before lifting his 'sword' again. "Keep that up and by the time we reach Nibelheim the dragons will be running away from us."

"Dragons don't run from anything."

"Oh?" Zack shrugged. "Well, I guess we'll get to try selling some dragon hide, then."

"Hmm." Cloud stood still except for parrying a few blows. "Do we have to go to Nibelheim? I know there isn't anything left, but..." He jumped back to avoid a side swing. "There are a lot of unpleasant memories there."

Zack paused his attacks since it seemed Cloud wasn't in the mood to fight back. "Uh, yeah, about there not being anything left..." He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to focus. "Never mind. It'd probably be best to explain while Tifa's here."

"Explain what?"

"Later." Zack took a deep breath and smiled. "Meanwhile, let's see if we can keep sparring until the others show up."

* * *

_Yeah, I skipped Costa Del Sol and the little conversation with Hojo, which I suppose would've been a great way to up the psychological pressure on our heroes. But it just didn't make sense for them to go to a place that would be full of ShinRa personnel. Don't worry, I'll find some other way of driving Cloud, and possibly Zack, to the ragged edge of sanity. It wouldn't be Final Fantasy VII if I didn't._


	26. A Traitor's Mark

_Many thanks to GigaBahamut for showing me how to get this updated. Though it's be nice if fixed that._

_Disclaimer: Don't own. Don't sue. _

_Suggestion to SquareEnix: Next time you make an FFVII game, hire some of the people who worked on Prince of Persia. The gamer controlled acrobatics in there are awesome!_

**Chapter Twenty-Five - A Traitor's Mark**

"Yeah! Take that, lightning beak!"

Yuffie danced around the fallen needle kiss, waving her shuriken with apparent disregard for her teammates standing on the narrow mountain road.

Barret stepped back toward the brush covered slope. "Watch it, ya crazy little-"

"DON'T MOVE!"

Everyone froze the moment Kunsel and Red yelled.

Tifa spoke first. "What is it?"

Kunsel pointed behind Barret. "Search crowns." Sure enough, less than a yard behind Barret stood three of the semi-ambulatory mushroom-like things. "Don't make any sudden movements. Just step away quietly."

Barret sniffed. "Ya make 'em sound like they're dangerous." Still, he did as Kunsel said.

_He's a local._ Kunsel's eyes narrowed. "They aren't as dangerous as some things around here, but I certainly don't want to be picking seeds out of my ass later today."

"You're all just being a bunch of sissies," Yuffie said, striding across the road. "They look harmless, what's the big-hey!"

Kunsel grabbed her by the collar just as one of the search crowns pelted her with seeds the size of a man's thumb.

"Now ya done it!" Barret shoved Tifa and Aerith ahead of him. "Let's get outa here!"

Kunsel and Red ran after him, an irate Yuffie tucked under Kunsel's arm.

Soon Red slowed down, his ears twitching. "Someone is engaged in a duel nearby."

"Yeah." Kunsel looked around. He pointed to a small path among the rocks on the upward slope. "That's got to be the path Zack mentioned."

They had to walk single file, Yuffie sulking near the back of the line since Kunsel had finally set her down. Around a corner they came in sight of the fight Red had mentioned. Everyone stayed back out of the way as Zack and Cloud clashed and rebounded off boulders.

Zack noticed the arrival of the party first. He grinned and lowered his 'sword' slightly. "Hey, guys. Wh-!"

Cloud collided with the branch, breaking it and sending both men tumbling to the ground.

Kunsel laughed as the two disentangled themselves. "You lost your focus."

"And you do a really bad impression of Angeal," Zack said, getting to his feet. He took back his sword when Kunsel handed it to him.

"Impressions aren't really my thing." Kunsel turned to Barret. "So, how do you recommend we get through to Corel?"

Barret raised his good arm as if about to point but stopped mid swing. He glared at Kunsel as he lowered his arm. "What you talkin' 'bout?"

Everyone else looked first at Barret then at Kunsel.

Kunsel shrugged. "You are from around here, right? It makes sense. You recognized the search crowns and the destruction of the village would be a good reason for hating ShinRa."

Barret's glare shifted to a resigned scowl. "Yeah, I'm from Corel. Long as ya know, I better tell ya it'd be best if I not go through there wit' ya."

"Why is that?" Aerith stepped forward, looking up at Barret with wide-eyed concern.

Barret turned his head away. "It's my fault. All my fault that Corel's gone."

Zack blinked. "You didn't blow up the reactor, did you?"

"No!" Barret's eyes shot up, glaring at Zack for only a moment before they fell back to staring at the ground. "But I might as well have. When ShinRa came we's all excited 'bout this mako business, thought it'd turn our lives around. All 'cept Dyne. He's my best friend but I convinced him to go 'long wit' it. Then one day we's comin' back to town and ran into one of the old men runnin' away. He was shot down right in front of us, just like that. We saw the village burnin' in the distance and tried to run away, too, but Dyne fell an' I tried to catch him. That's when I was shot in the arm." He lifted his gun arm and looked at it as if he saw the scene reflected in the dented metal. "So, you see, it's my fault. I can't go back there."

"No. I don't see." Kunsel had spent the time during Barret's speach leaning against a large boulder. "So you convinced your friend that mako was a great idea, so what? I doubt ShinRa would've given up their plans for the reactor just because of one man."

Barret sputtered.

"I don't have any sympathy for you!" Yuffie glared at Barret before stalking past. "You shouldn't have trusted ShinRa in the first place!"

"Hey!" Zack stepped up to Yuffie, blocking her path. "You're not helping."

Tifa held Barret's good hand in both of her's, an attempt at reassurance that Barret didn't seem to notice. He barely seemed aware of anything as the group moved on along the mountain trail.

*7*7*

Kunsel shook his head, feeling that he really should start cataloging the limit breaks his companions possessed. Interestingly, Cloud's latest one (which Zack rather unimaginatively dubbed 'Blade Beam') was the first to not involve his body glowing.

Good grief, even the ninja brat had a limit break. If everyone could cooperate for more than just beating up monsters, ShinRa might actually have a problem on their hands.

Finally, near late afternoon, they reached the shanty town of North Corel. Tents and shelters made from scrap metal dotted the space around the disused train tracks. On a low ridge stood the only two actual buildings, stone structures that looked ready to fall over at the slightest touch.

"Man," Zack said, "this place is a mess. Guess they wouldn't really appreciate a bunch of SOLDIERs walking into town."

Tifa nodded. "So what do we do?" She glanced over at Barret. He stayed near the back of the group, facing away from the shattered settlement he felt responsible for.

"We could dress in civilian clothes, but that wouldn't do anything about the mako glow and we don't have any sunglasses." Kunsel turned to Zack. "So, do we send the girls in to get supplies and information?"

"Hey!" Yuffie jumped up and down. "I'm not just a girl, I'm a ninja! Information gathering is my specialty!"

Zack grinned. "Funny, I thought your specialty was stealing."

"That too!"

"Is that really something you should be proud of?" Red asked.

Zack rubbed the back of his head. "Barret really should go, too, since he knows these people, but..."

"I ain't goin'."

"Figured as much." Zack put his fists on his waist and took a deep breath. "Okay, gang, let's take inventory and figure out what we can sell just in case there isn't enough gil to pay for the supplies we need."

For the most part, taking inventory went smoothly. A few items, mostly shredded clothing, were tossed without argument. Quite a bit of discussion went into what to do with the potions they collected. Aerith wanted to keep them as necessary medical supplies. Kunsel pointed out that they had a level 3 restore materia and Zack's old (not to mention fully mastered) cure for such purposes. Both of which were a great deal less breakable than the glass potion bottles.

Cloud ended up inadvertently settling that debate when he crushed one of the potion bottles while trying to get the cap off. He apologized the entire time he spent cleaning up, explaining that he'd intended to check that it was still fresh.

The real problem came when selling some of the materia came up. Yuffie, of course, didn't want to part with any of it. Zack pointed out that most of the materia was technically his and he could sell it if he wanted to. Kunsel also pointed out that most of the magic materia was of the old single-spell variety and probably wouldn't sell for much even though they were also mastered. Barret grumbled about how the whole thing made absolutely no sense to him. Tifa suggested they could sell the sense materia while Red pointed out that it could be useful in a fight with an unknown enemy. After the disaster with the potion bottle, Cloud just sat on his hands and kept his mouth shut.

Finally, with an air of exasperation from more than one of the party, the decision was made to sell the cure, enemy skill, and jump materia but keep the basic elementals, sense, all, restore, and the Shiva summon. Yuffie also insisted on keeping her steal materia. Though the fire and thunder materia could be sold if they found a set of multi-spell materia to replace them.

That settled, Tifa, Yuffie, and Aerith headed into the sad little village. Zack stretched before falling into his familiar habit of doing squats.

Kunsel glanced over at where Barret brooded against the cliff wall and sighed. "Hey, Zack, you don't think I was maybe a little insensitive back there, do you?"

"With what?" Zack didn't so much as break his rhythm as he followed Kunsel's line of sight. "Oh. Maybe. Somebody had to say it, though. He can't keep blaming himself over something he had no control over." He didn't miss the slight twitch from Cloud.

Red huffed. "Excuse me." He turned and trotted over to Barret. Without a word he laid down, resembling a loyal hunting hound before a comfortable fire.

*7*7*

"Thank you. I hope your father does better soon." Aerith's smile faded as the tent flap fell behind her. "Everyone's so bitter," she murmured.

Tifa nodded. "I can understand the feeling. ShinRa's taken everything from them."

"It's their own fault for believing ShinRa," Yuffie said, her nose in the air. "At least Barret's willing to admit it."

Aerith shifted the bag of dried vegetables on her arm to a more comfortable position. "Perhaps. I do wish he didn't blame himself so much, though."

"Whatever." Yuffie skipped ahead. "You two can keep shopping if you like, I'm going to see if there's any good mat-information in this dump."

"Sure. Meet you back with the others in an hour?" Tifa felt to make sure her wallet was still in place after Yuffie passed. "And don't steal anything."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." The self-proclaimed White Rose of Wutai vanished behind one of the dusty market stalls.

The brilliant sunlight and drab monotone of the shanty town made blending into the background even harder than normal for the outgoing ninja. She preferred the direct approach, anyway.

"Guy in a black cloak?" The man outside the sad excuse for an inn blinked at the oddly dressed visitor. "Yeah, I saw him. Had a cool looking tattoo on him. I wonder if I should get one. Hey. You think I'd look good with a tattoo?"

Yuffie thought it'd take more than a tattoo to make this guy look good, but in a rare display of tact she refrained from voicing that opinion. "Great, so where did he go?"

The man blinked some more. Yuffie suspected he needed glasses, badly. "I think he took the tram to the Gold Saucer."

That was easy. Too easy. Yuffie's eyes narrowed at her informant. "Why did he go there?"

"No idea," the man said with a shrug. "He never said anything. Though I suppose he probably went for the same reason everyone else does. It's the off season, but there's always somebody interested in having a good time. Kinda wish I could afford to go there once. I had been saving up before ShinRa came, thought it'd be a nice surprise for the wife. 'Course, she's dead now. Most everyone's dead. No point in saving anything after that. I think sometimes it'd be nice to start over. Guess that's why I asked about getting a tattoo. Just put the past behind me and try something new for a change. Doubt it'd do much good, but..."

Yuffie didn't catch the rest of the speech. The last thing she wanted to hear was another tale of woe from someone who refused to even try. She just couldn't respect someone who gave up. Like her father.

So she decided to return to the group early. There wasn't really anything else to do, none of the people even had any interesting materia to steal. Correction. These people had no materia to steal whatsoever. She'd never seen a more boring village.

"Hey, guys!" she yelled the instant she spotted the male members of her team. "The Great Ninja Yuffie Kisaragi strikes again! Haha!"

"You didn't steal anything, did you?"

Yuffie sniffed at Zack's question. "Of course not! I always keep my word. But I did pick up some interesting information on this Sephiroth you guys are looking for." The obvious interest her words brought made her grin. "So, what's it worth to ya?"

Ignoring the collective groan (and, in Barret's case, muttered cursing), Cloud sifted through the contents of the supply duffel until he came across a small yellow materia. He turned it over in palm. "One sense materia."

"All right! I knew there was something about you I liked." Yuffie made a grab for the materia but Cloud backed off before she could blink.

"The information first."

Yuffie pouted. "Fine. Some guy saw a man in a black cloak get on the tram for the Gold Saucer."

"That's it?" Zack frowned. "What would he be doing there?"

Yuffie shrugged. "Playing pachinko? How should I know? I don't even know who he is. Now gimme my materia!" She dove at Cloud again, who this time just looked startled as she attempted to mug him.

A few minutes later, Tifa and Aerith returned to an all too amusing sight. Kunsel sat on the train tracks with his head buried in both his palms. Zack stood nearby, looking both concerned and horrified at Yuffie, who was curled up near Cloud and hugging something to her chest. Cloud stood with his hands open as if he'd recently been holding something and looking more than a bit shell shocked. Barret just stood apart from the rest grumbling. Red padded up to the newly arrived teammates with what could be called a smile on his face.

"You missed an interesting display."

"Apparently," Tifa said. Next to her, Aerith started to giggle.

*7*7*

"Why would someone put the entrance to the world's only amusement park in a place like North Corel?" Zack looked out the window of the tram at the haphazard gold disks sparkling with randomly colored lights.

"An attempt at economic stimulus," Kunsel said. "Before the only way to get here was the helicopter shuttle from Costa Del Sol. A few months after the reactor blew, Dio set up the tram service in order to attract business to the area. Obviously, it didn't work the way he planned, though it does have the advantage of being free and open year-round unlike the shuttle service." He looked around at the eyes staring at him. "What?"

Zack shook his head. "Seriously, is there anything you don't know something about?"

"Hey. Unlike some people, I like to keep up with current events."

"Living in a test tube for four years doesn't let one catch up easily."

Kunsel winced. "Okay. You win this one."

The tense silence following that exchange lasted only long enough for the irritatingly cheerful park music to reach the tram. Soon after, the doors opened onto a poka-dotted plaza inhabited by one poor soul in a bright yellow chocobo costume.

"Welcome to the Gold Saucer!" the mascot yelled, waving his 'wings' frantically. Everyone ignored him except Yuffie, who paused just long enough to stick out her tongue while pulling down her lower eyelid.

Kunsel sighed as he put away his wallet. Zack had nominated him as treasurer of their merry band after the argument earlier in the day. The responsibility made him acutely aware of how much they could not afford the exorbitant prices of this place. At least they managed to get in the front door. The greeter didn't even bat an eyelash at Red. Maybe she was used to strange customers.

"Wow!" Aerith cried as she danced ahead into the brightly lit entrance hall. Tubes lead out to the various attractions from the curved wall. "Let's have fun!"

Kunsel cleared his throat and Aerith's smile faded slightly. "I know this isn't the right time to do this," she said. She slid over to Barret's side. "Hey, Barret, cheer up!"

"I ain't in no cheery mood. So jes' leave me alone."

No one could blame him, either. Zack was still pretty shocked at the dirty looks they, no **Barret**, had gotten from the villagers who spotted them navigating around the perimeter of the settlement.

Aerith continued unfazed. "Really? That's too bad." She stepped over to Zack, latching onto his arm. "Let's go!"

Tifa looked over at Barret before leaning over to whisper in Aerith's ear. "Wasn't that a little harsh, Aerith?"

"Just act normal when this happens," Aerith whispered back.

"You think so?" Tifa didn't sound so sure.

Kunsel rolled his eyes. He liked Aerith, but the girl had a very strange way of dealing with people and their problems. "We've been fighting a lot lately, so maybe some R&R would be a good idea."

"Fine!" Barret stormed toward one of the tubes. 'Battle Square,' apparently. "Messin' around doin' $#^&#. Don't forget we're after Sephiroth!" The tube made a 'shoomp' noise as the air pumps kicked in to rocket Barret away.

"Uh, as I was saying," Kunsel said, "we'd probably look a little less suspicious if we act like regular tourists, anyway. I guess I don't have to remind anyone what we're actually here for."

"All right!" Yuffie grabbed Cloud's hand and attempted to drag him over to the information stand. "You're with me!"

Cloud glanced at Tifa, but she had her back turned. With a sigh, he finally let the hyper ninja direct his movements.

_I just had to have someone call Barret on his oddly placed guilt. Really? Everyone in town agrees to something and it's just his fault? How does that work? It makes a bit more sense from watching Before Crisis (I say watching, not playing, because there is no official North America release for the game, blast it), what with Barret taking a more active role in assisting ShinRa prior to the disaster, but that's hardly a good reason for wallowing in guilt. Not that there's ever a good reason to wallow in guilt, some are just more understandable than others._


	27. Heralds of Disaster

**Chapter Twenty-Six - Heralds of Disaster**

Kunsel shook his head at the very nearly empty Event Square. Not that it was surprising, given that it was deep into the off season, but the sight still struck him as slightly depressing. Not getting anything useful out of the three people who were there didn't help one bit. He figured he might as well head to Speed Square next.

*7*7*

Aerith clung tight to Zack's arm as the tube deposited them at the gate to Round Square. "That was... exciting. Am I still all here?" She managed to reach up with one hand to feel her ribbon.

Zack laughed. "Hey, I got you. There's nothing to worry about."

"I know." She rested her head on his arm as they walked toward the gondola ticket booth.

"Welcome," a cheery lady said. "This attraction is 3 GP. Shall you be riding this evening?"

"GP, huh? Dang. I guess not." Zack looked down at Aerith. "Sorry."

"It's all right. Maybe some other time. We still have a lot of other things to see."

"Yeah. Hey, I think they give out GP as a prize at the chocobo races."

*7*7*

Tifa shuddered as she and Red left the hotel in Ghost Square. "How do they expect people to sleep in a place like that?"

"I am more concerned with how we leave this place. I didn't see any exits when we arrived."

"Hmm." Tifa glanced around, noting that the name of each square was carved into the headstones surrounding them. "What's this?" She touched the stone marked 'Battle.' Suddenly the ground opened beneath her.

"Tifa!"

*7*7*

"Whoo-hoo! Come on, Cloud, lighten up!"

Cloud nodded, just thankful that there weren't many people around.

"Hey you!" an oddly accented voice said. "What're you lookin' so down for!"

Cloud spun around to see an overstuffed toy moogle waddle toward him with a cat of some sort riding on its head.

The cat, which wore a tin crown on its head and a red cape around its neck spoke. "How 'bout it? Want me to read your fortune! A bright future! A happy future! Oh, but don't hold it against me if it's not a great prediction!" The robot, it had to be a robot, paused as if taking in the confused expressions on the couple in front of it. "Oh, so sorry! I'm a fortune telling machine. The name's Cait Sith."

"That is too cool!" Yuffie jumped forward, all too eager to examine every inch of the strange machine. "Does it run on materia? What's this zipper in the back for?"

"Hey! Watch where you're touchin', lassie. I may look it but I'm not a toy."

"Do you just tell the future?"

Cait turned his attention away from Yuffie, who was busy sulking, to focus his squinty eyes on Cloud. "You kidding! I can find missing things, missing people, anything!"

"Then can you tell me where a man named Sephiroth is?"

Cait tilted his head to one side, his ears twitching. "Sephiroth, right? Okay, here goes!" The moogle he sat on rocked back and forth before holding out a yellow slip of paper for Cloud to take.

"...Ordinary luck," Cloud read. "It will be an active fortune. Give into the good will of others, and something big'll happen by summer. ...wait... what's this?"

"Huh?" Cait looked about as confused as his stitching and stuffing face would allow. "Let me try again."

Cloud took the next yellow slip. "Be careful of forgetfulness. Your lucky color is... blue?" He shook his head. "Forget it."

"Wait, wait give me another chance!" Cait waved his hands frantically before tapping on the moogle's head. Suddenly the moogle's wobbling sped up. The paper he handed Cloud was black with white lettering.

Cloud's eyes widened. "...What the!"

"What is it?" Yuffie pounced on Cloud's shoulders trying to get a look over them. "Let me see!"

"What you pursue will be yours. But you will lose something dear." Cloud's face paled. The previous fortunes had been silly fluff, the sort of thing one got from a coin machine in a bar. This, this just felt wrong.

Cait seemed to feel the same way. "I don't know if it's good OR bad... This's the first time I ever got something like THIS." He fell silent for a moment then nodded. "Then shall we?"

"Huh?" Yuffie said, apparently unaware of how she was riding Cloud like a monkey. "What are you talking about?"

"As a fortune teller, I can't help but think about this. If I don't see what it leads to, I won't be able to relax. That's why I'm going with you!"

"What? You can't do that! Can you even fight?"

Cloud sighed. "Yuffie, get down." He waited until Yuffie slid off before continuing. "Look, I know..."

"I'm comin' with you no matter WHAT you say!" Cait crossed his stick-like arms across his skinny chest. The effect was more comical than anything else.

"Oh, never mind him," Yuffie said. "Let's go play pachinko!" She grabbed Cloud's hand and dragged him to a set of stairs leading up to a skyway.

"What's pachinko?" Cloud said.

Cait bounced along behind them on his mechanical moogle. "It's a Wutanese term for arcade games. I think it refers to the noises the games in Wutai most often make."

"Arm wrestling!" Yuffie dropped Cloud's hand to dash off to one of the games in the first arcade room. "All right! Hey, Cloud, hand me some gil."

Cloud stepped forward and immediately blanched at the price posted on the front of the machine. "I don't think we can afford to spend 200 gil on one game."

"Don't be such a wet blanket. We're here to have fun, remember?"

"And find Sephiroth."

Yuffie waved at him distractedly as she turned her attention to the arm wrestling game. "So ask around. I'm going to play."

Cloud turned to do just that, until he realized that Yuffie had somehow turned the game on. Cait tapped him on the shoulder. A feat he managed by standing on his moogle's head.

"Ye might wanna check your pocket's, lad."

Cloud did so and frowned. "Yuffie."

"Kinda busy here!"

"My wallet."

"What?" She looked over her shoulder. Cloud glared at her with his hand out. "Oh fine." She dug around in her pockets with her free hand and tossed it over. "I don't know what the big deal is. There's hardly anything in there."

He flipped through the contents anyway. She'd only taken a 200 gil note.

"Ya know," Cait said at his elbow, "it'd make talkin' to people here easier if you looked like you were havin' fun."

Cloud sighed and looked around. The cheapest game was a basketball toss across from Yuffie. What harm could it do? Granted, he'd never played basketball, but it didn't look hard. Just aim the ball and throw.

And watch it ricochet off the backboard, fly across the room, and hit Yuffie in the back of the head.

"I think ye threw it a little too hard, lad."

Cloud barely heard Cait, he was more focused on the increasingly irritated ninja.

"Owwwwww. That hurt!" She stopped whining and rubbing her head to glare at Cloud. "You made me lose! You owe me another game!"

"Considerin' you stole..."

"Shut up, fuzzy!"

Inevitably, Yuffie managed to goad another 200 gil note out of Cloud. After she lost that game, too, Cloud cut off any further protests by tucking her under his arm and carrying her to Battle Square. Followed, of course, by Cait.

*7*7*

The platform just outside of Speed Square was as empty as the Event Square. Kunsel expected that, so he headed straight for the stairs up to the entrance. There in the doorway stood a huge, hairy man with a ridiculous handlebar mustache wearing orange briefs. Just orange briefs.

Dio, former wrestler, self-styled adventurer, and owner of the Gold Saucer. Kunsel hadn't believed that the man actually walked around in his wrestling clothes (such as they were) until that moment.

"Hey, boy." Dio waved.

That was different. "Boy?"

Dio grinned. A huge, toothy grin. "How is it? You having fun?"

"Uh, it's interesting."

"Mmm, so you ARE having fun. Well, good, good for you, boy."

This was getting annoying. It felt condescending, never mind inaccurate. "Look, the name's Kunsel."

Dio acted like he hadn't heard. "Mmm? Me? I'm the owner of the Gold Saucer. The name's Dio. Just call me Dio."

"I know that," Kunsel muttered. He was starting to step back toward the steps when Dio said something that got Kunsel's full attention.

"By the way, boy, do you know what a 'Black Materia' is?"

"What?" Black materia, an obscure legend about an ultimate destructive magic that was sealed away by the Ancients.

Dio laughed. "Ha ha ha... that, I say, that's a good one, boy! But it's not good to lie. You can't fool me."

"I wasn't trying to... oh never mind." It was like talking to a wall. "Why did you ask me that?"

"Well, a while back, a boy your age came in and asked me if I had a 'Black Materia.'" Dio shrugged. "I thought you might know who he was, seein' as how you're both about the same age."

_Wonder what he considers 'about the same age'?_ "What did he look like?"

"Good question, boy. Didn't see much of him, though, what with that black cape he was wearing. I did notice a tattoo on his hand that said '1'."

Kunsel's eyes widened. "Where did he go!"

Dio laughed. "I have no idea." He clapped Kunsel on the shoulder hard enough that a normal person would have stumbled. "Well then, I say, stop by the Battle Arena if you like, boy. You'll probably like it. Many of my collections are on display there." With that he left.

Kunsel barely noticed the clap or that Dio had left. The man in the cape had a tattoo? Sephiroth didn't have any tattoos that Kunsel knew of, though, granted, Sephiroth rarely removed his gloves. The most disturbing thing was the mention of black materia. He had to tell Zack.

Next stop, Round Square.

*7*7*

Aerith squealed as the first chocobo crossed the finish line.

Zack grinned. "Pretty exciting, huh?"

"I won!" Aerith jumped up to hug Zack around the neck.

"Huh?"

"I won!" She dropped down so she could show him the little colored papers in her hand. "I bought a set of tickets just before the race."

"That's great!" Zack wrapped his arm around Aerith's waist. "Let's go find out what you won."

They soon left with five GP in Aerith's pocket.

"I guess this means I'll be paying for the gondola ride." Aerith giggled. "But isn't the guy supposed to pay for the date?"

"True." He looked around, his hands on his waist. "There's gotta be a snack machine around here somewhere. That way I can at least pay for the food."

"Oh, how romantic!"

Zack shrugged. "Hey, I work with what I've got."

*7*7*

Tifa stumbled out of the chute leading to Battle Square. Or, rather, the substation just below Battle Square. A nondescript guard stood watch at the stairs leading up to the actual attraction.

"Miss? Are you all right?"

"Hmm? Yeah, I'm fi-oof!" Tifa fell forward as Red tumbled into her.

Red rolled off of her. "Sorry."

"It's fine, really."

"It talks!"

Tifa stopped dusting herself off long enough to glare at the poor, unsuspecting guard. She stood up and looked at Red. "Do you ever get tired of that?"

Red made a motion with his shoulder blades that might have been a shrug. "It's an annoyance, but I have come to accept that most people react that way."

"Yes, I suppose so." Tifa sighed and looked back at the guard. "Did someone in a black cloak come by here?"

"No, ma'am," the guard said, shaking his head vigorously. "No one's been by here, in fact. The attraction's closed for maintenance."

"Oh. I see." Tifa turned and headed for the chute leading to Chocobo Square with Red trailing behind.

Red looked back at the guard. He frowned then nudged Tifa with a paw. "Didn't Barret come this way? Why would the guard say that he hadn't seen anyone?"

"It's not important." Tifa looked sad but the smell was worse than her expression.

Red knew there was something bothering her besides their current assignment, but he felt that he wasn't close enough to her to ask. So he simply followed her without a word.

Several minutes later Cloud, Yuffie, and Cait arrived to a much different scene at the Battle Square substation. The guard Tifa had talked to stumbled down the stairs, finally resting in a pool of blood.

Yuffie screamed. "He's dead! He's dead, isn't he? Oh gods!"

"Yer very loud for a ninja, ye know that?"

During this exchange, Cloud knelt by the guard and checked him for a pulse. Finally, he sighed and shook his head. He stood then jumped halfway up the stairs, running the rest of the way up.

"Hey! Cloud! Wait for us!"

Cloud arrived at the Battle Square lobby well before Yuffie and Cait. The floor was soaked in blood and littered with bodies. Cloud was examining one of the bodies when Yuffie and Cait arrived.

"Ugh. Who did this?" Yuffie said. "Was it that Sephiroth guy you're chasing?"

Cloud shook his head. "No... it's not him... They're all shot... Sephiroth would never use a gun."

"Hey! Someone's alive!" Cait pointed to the registration desk. There a blond man tried to lift his head from the sign-in form.

"Hey, what happened!" Cloud ran over and checked the man's injuries. It didn't look good and Aerith had the restore materia.

The man groaned. "A man with a gun... on his arm..."

"No way!" Yuffie stepped away from the desk. "No way!"

A voice bellowed at them from the entrance. "Hold it right there! And stay quiet!"

Cait and Yuffie spun around to face the two guards and under-dressed wrestler who just entered. Cloud turned his head slightly but otherwise remained still as he maintained pressure on the worst of the man's wounds.

The wrestler, Dio, though no one but Cait realized this, crossed his arms over his broad, hairy chest and glared. "Did you guys do this!"

Yuffie gasped. "What? No way! Do we look like murderers?"

"Ye might not want him to answer that, lassie."

Dio turned to the guards. "Men!"

"AH!" Cait started running for the arena door. "Hurry and run, it's gonna get ugly."

Cloud looked from Cait to the dying man under him. "But..." The click of firearms being cocked cut him off. Cloud glowered at the guards, then closed his eyes. "I'm sorry."

He ran after Cait and Yuffie.

They made it halfway across the arena before Dio and the guards showed up.

"That's as far as you go." Dio raised a hand and the guards aimed their guns.

Cloud stepped in front of Cait and Yuffie. "Wait, listen to..."

"Cloud..." Cait tapped Cloud's back.

Cloud looked up in time to see three large robots similar to sweepers jump into the arena. Instinct told him to fight, but he refused. Yuffie, on the other hand, was reaching for her shuriken. Cloud grabbed her shoulder.

"If we fight, it'll be that much harder to convince them we're innocent."

The robots grabbed them and carried them further into the arena complex. Cloud's eyes widened when he heard Yuffie scream. Soon, Cloud's robot arrived at a room with the words "Gateway to Heaven" emblazoned around a large door in the floor.

"One more to go," Dio said.

The guards nodded. "Yes."

Cloud finally started to struggle. "Listen to me!" The robot's grip tightened even as he managed to bend the metal casing of its hands.

"There's no need to listen. Pay for your crime down below!" Dio turned to one of the guards. "Do it!"

"Yes." The guard pressed a button releasing the trapdoor. The robot jumped in with Cloud still straining to free himself.

_Anyone else think Dio jumps to conclusions a little too fast? And what is the deal with the Haunted Inn? I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to sleep in a place like that. Ah well. Also tried to make some sense out of the transport system between squares. Not really sure that something like that would be safe (let alone legal) in the real world, but this is FFVII. There is no OSHA compliance. You're lucky if there are hand rails protecting you from a drop to certain death._

_Then there's the whole issue with Cloud's characterization. I keep hearing people complain about how SquareEnix bastardized his character and made him all 'emo.' It makes me wonder if they've played the same game and watched the same movie as me. And I could go on for pages about what I see in Cloud as a character. Instead, I think I'll write fanfiction. At least that way it'll be in a format people might want to read._


	28. Sand Trap

**Chapter Twenty-Seven - Sand Trap**

"Hey! Gaia to Cloud! Come in, Cloud!"

Cloud blinked as Yuffie's face came into focus surrounded by blazing white sunlight.

"Ugh. Definitely not heaven." Cloud covered his eyes with his hand.

"Gee. Glad to see you, too."

Cloud sat up once he was sure Yuffie wasn't in the way. "Where are we?"

"A desert prison," Cait said. His moogle looked just a little worse for the trip down. "Corel Prison..."

"A desert prison?" Cloud said. It seemed strange, he could still feel the slight weight of his sword on his back. Apparently Dio didn't care if his prisoners were armed.

Cait nodded, his ears drooped. "Yup, a natural prison in the middle of the desert surrounded entirely by quicksand. I heard that once you get in, you never get out. But, there was one special exception..."

When Cait trailed off, Cloud looked up. Cait was looking at something to his right. Cloud turned and saw Barret standing near a chain-link fence, a body at his feet.

Yuffie saw him, too. "Hey! Barret!" She waved her arms over her head.

They all ran toward him but Barret backed away toward a gate.

"Stay back! This's something I gotta deal with." Barret turned away, his shoulders slumped. "Jes' leave me alone..." He ran off, leaving Cloud and Yuffie to wonder what to do.

Cait wiped nonexistent sweat from his brow. "Whew! That's one of your friends? He sure looks dangerous..."

"He's acting really weird." Yuffie set her hands on her hips. "Hey, you don't think... Cloud?"

Cloud was examining the body by the fence. "This one's been shot too..." He stood up and strode after Barret.

Yuffie stood for a while looking between Cloud and the dead body. She didn't particularly want to go after Barret, but she didn't like the idea of staying around a corpse either.

She turned around at a shuffling noise behind her. A man wandered into the fenced in area looking glassy and disoriented. Until he saw Yuffie, then he grinned showing brown stained teeth.

Yuffie and Cait ran after Cloud. The strange, and possibly intoxicated, man followed them. Thankfully, Cloud was easy to spot with that hair of his. He was talking to a man near a defaced billboard, probably about how to get out of there since as they got closer Yuffie heard the man say, "the best thing is

to stay out of the desert entirely."

"Thanks, anyway," Cloud said. He turned and nodded to Yuffie. "Are you all right?"

"Oh, I'm fine! I think it's great that we're stuck in some hell hole with murderers and crazy stalkers."

"Crazy stalkers?" Cloud looked over Yuffie's head and saw the man following her. His eyes narrowed as he put an arm protectively around Yuffie's shoulders. "Come on. Cait, can you ask around for any more information on this place?"

"Sure thing, by what are you going to do?"

"Find Barret."

Cloud lead Yuffie into the shadows of a nearby building, keeping himself between her and the stalker. Cait wobbled in the other direction. As expected, the stalker followed Cloud and Yuffie.

"Hmph. Dude's definitely psycho if he thinks he stands a chance against the great ninja Yuffie Kisaragi." She peered around Cloud's shoulder.

Cloud gently pushed her forward. "Weren't you running from him?"

"Only because I didn't want to give those wackos upstairs a real reason for keeping me down here! I could so take that guy on! It wouldn't even be a real fight, just BAM and he's down!"

For a second, Yuffie almost thought she heard Cloud chuckle, but when she looked at his face he looked as stoic as ever.

They continued to duck from one ruined structure to another, never quite losing their tail. Soon they met up with Cait near a run-down blue trailer.

"There ye are." Cait waved to them. "I've got good news and bad news. Good news is there is a way out, by winning a chocobo race. The bad news is we have to get permission from the boss to try."

Cloud glanced over his shoulder so he could be sure he was standing between the stalker and Yuffie. "Then we talk to the boss and convince him to let us. What's the problem?"

Cait's ears drooped. "No one would tell me who the boss is."

"Oh that's just great." Yuffie threw her hands in the air and stomped her foot. "How much you want to bet this 'boss' doesn't even exist? They probably just tell that to newcomers to get their hopes up."

"Maybe." Cloud's eyes drifted to the one intact house in the area. The place might have been cosy once upon a time. "Let's go."

The door they found lead into what had once been a modest parlor with a couch covered in soot and animal droppings. A faded floral pattern peeked through in patches.

What Cloud focused on, however, stood near a cracked window on the opposite end of the room. Or, rather, who Cloud focused on.

Barret glared daggers at them. "Didn't I tell you not to come here!" He raised his gun arm.

Cait flew into a panic. "Ju... just hold on for a second! We just want to talk! You'll understand if you just hear us out!"

Cloud pushed Cait and Yuffie closer to the door, even though he could see Barret wasn't aiming for them. Moments later Barret fired into the couch. The man who'd been stalking Yuffie collapsed out of his hiding place, a knife laying limp in his hand.

"Didn't want none of ya to get involved," Barret said, turning his back on the scene.

Yuffie yelp as the door behind her burst open. Zack, Kunsel, Aerith, Tifa, and Red tumbled into the room.

"You sound like Zack and Cloud!" Aerith said, pointing a delicate finger at Barret. "'...It's too dangerous, I can't let you get involved...' blah, blah, blah..."

Zack looked ready to protest that characterization when Tifa continued Aerith's line of thought. "Yeah. We're already involved in this."

"How did you get here?" Cloud said.

"We got arrested," Kunsel said. "Dio is very thorough. Since we all came in as a group he had us rounded up and sent down here together."

"Anyway," Zack said, "we're here whether you like it or not."

Barret's shoulders slumped even further. "You guys..."

Red stepped forward, his head down. "I heard that the murders at the Battle Arena were done by a man with a gun-arm. ...Was that you?"

Barret shook his head. "There's another... another man that got a gun grafted inta one of his arms... It was four years ago..." He heaved a sigh. "That day when Corel burned and I let Dyne fall. From then on, I couldn't use my right arm no more... I was depressed for a while."

"I can image," Kunsel muttered low enough so Barret couldn't hear.

"But then I threw away my artificial arm and got this gun grafted in." Barret straightened and looked at what was left of his right arm. "Got a new right arm to get revenge on ShinRa, who took everything away... Back then, I heard the doc say there was another man who got the same operation as me. But, his was the left arm..."

Aerith's expression softened during the story. "Dyne's injury was the same as yours, right?"

"Yeah, that's right." Tifa nodded. "He was deceived by ShinRa too. He'll probably join us to fight against ShinRa."

Barret looked down at the ground. "...wouldn't bet on it. I gotta 'pologize to Dyne before I can rest in peace. An' that's why, I gotta go alone."

"So, just do whatever you want, is that what you want to hear?" Zack crossed his arms over his chest. "Not happening. I'm not going to just sit by and watch you die."

Aerith gave Barret a small smile. "That's right. You were going to save the planet, weren't you?"

"You certainly won't be much use to the planet dead," Kunsel added.

Tifa walked up to Barret. "Yeah. I know, Barret, I'm not so different from you."

"None of us are," Cloud said, his voice quieter than usual. "We've all lost something precious."

"Now that that's settled..." Kunsel pointed at Cait. "What's that?"

"Hmph!" Cait stood on his moogle's head, looking comically defiant. "I'm not a 'what' I'm a 'who.' My body might be a stuffed toy but there's still only one me."

Zack frowned. "Have I seen you somewhere before?"

"Uh... Perhaps. I work as a fortune teller at the Gold Saucer, or, at least, I did."

"That couldn't be it, I've never been to the Gold Saucer before today." Zack shrugged. "Oh well, never mind. We should probably focus on finding Dyne."

"Barret should take someone he trusts, as well as someone who won't send Dyne running for the hills. Which I guess leaves us three out." Kunsel pointed to himself, Zack, and Cloud.

"Hrm, well, no offense, but outta all of ya, I'd say I trust Tifa the most. But I ain't lettin' her get involved."

Tifa frowned. "Barret, you know I can take care of myself. This can't be more dangerous than what we're already doing."

Barret sighed, his gaze falling to the floor. "Figured you'd say something like that. Still'd rather not get any of ya mixed up in my problem."

"Like we told you, we're already involved. So I'm going to help."

"Then I'm coming too." Cloud stepped next to Tifa, his arms crossed and his eyes daring anyone to tell him he couldn't.

Kunsel took the dare. "Cloud, remember what I said about not scaring him off?"

"If Tifa's going, I'm going."

Kunsel had to resist the urge to insist that neither of them were going. The argumentative nature of this merry band was starting to rub off on him. "Fine. At least Cloud's the least likely to be identified as a SOLDIER as long as he's out of uniform and doesn't get close enough for Dyne to get a good look at his eyes."

"Good thing we still have our stuff, then." Zack nodded to the bag slung over Kunsel's shoulder.

"Yeah," Kunsel said, "I guess Dio isn't too picky about that sort of thing since there's no way out of here."

"Ah, but there is." Cait's permanent smile widened. "But we can discuss that after we find Barret's friend. So, where do we start lookin'?"

Cloud rested his chin on his right fist while his left hand held his elbow. He closed his eyes before saying, "Cait, while you were gathering information, did you see anyone with a gun-arm?"

Cait shook his head. "Nope, and I think something like that would be hard to miss."

"I didn't see anyone like that, either." Cloud opened his eyes.

"He's got to be somewhere," Zack said. "You probably just missed him. You weren't here that much longer than us."

"Hey!" Everyone turned to look at Yuffie. She'd been so uncharacteristically quiet that most of them forgot she was there. "Maybe he's not in the actual prison. When we were dropped here I noticed a big junk yard a little ways north."

Kunsel nodded. "That's a good thought, though I wonder why he'd be here at all. Obviously he wasn't caught or there'd be no reason for us to be here."

Yuffie waved her pointer finger side to side. "Where better to hide a criminal than among other criminals? He probably knows the area really well, too, since he managed to get up and down so easily."

"All right!" Zack pumped a fist in the air. "The rest of us will stay here and see about finding a way out."

*7*7*

The junkyard apparently doubled as a death trap. Besides the badly malfunctioning bullmotors that attacked anything that moved, they had to deal with things that walked on stump-like legs and sported nasty, thick spider legs up its torso, getting bigger as they reached its shoulders and a hideous, malformed neck ending in a skeletal head. Barret called them death claws. They were native to the region, but were usually found deep in the mountains. These looked like they had been mutated by mako radiation.

Whether they were or not, of the things that lurked in the junkyard, the death claws were certainly the most dangerous.

Tifa found this out the hard way when she tried a spin kick on one only to get caught in a spiny embrace. She didn't hear Cloud or Barret scream her name as she pulled herself free. Finally, she fell to the ground and heard them. She tried to wave them off as they ran to her side, except she couldn't move.

"Got her wit' paralysis," Barret said. "Gotta wait for it to wear off, but we can at least heal her first."

Cloud didn't say anything. Assured that Tifa wasn't in immediate danger he turn to face the monster. Blue flames erupted down his arms and over his sword before he vanished. Moments later he reappeared, shooting through the death claw from above. Standing between the fallen halves, he spun his sword over his head before reattaching it to the magnet on his back.

"How is she?" Cloud finally spoke as he turned back to Barret and Tifa.

"She'll be fine in a bit. Jes' gotta wait 'til she can move again."

Cloud sighed and slumped against a pile of flattened cars, his head on his knees. "Good."

"Maybe I should be askin' if you're okay."

"I'm fine." Cloud stood. "We should move her somewhere less exposed."

Barret nodded and carefully scooped Tifa into his left arm with her legs hanging over his right. As they moved into the shadow of an overhanging sheet of corrugated steel Cloud thought he heard gunshots further on. Probably more of the bullmotors, though it didn't sound quite right.

A low moan snapped Cloud out of his surveillance.

"Tifa!" Cloud grabbed her shoulders. He wanted to hold her, keep her safe.

"Ah! Cloud, that hurts."

He let go like he'd been holding hot coals. For a moment he looked at his hands, then he let his hands fall to his side while his eyes stayed gazing at nothing. "Can you move?"

"Yeah." Tifa slid to her feet. Her legs still felt tingly, but they supported her weight.

Cloud nodded. "Then we should get moving." He drew his sword as he left the shadow of the junk pile.

* * *

_I still haven't quite decided if Corel Prison is the original Corel town or if it's just a place in the general area of Corel. There are certain inconsistencies that crop up with either interpretation. Also, there's no indication that I know of for just how long the Gold Saucer has been open. I'm assuming more than four years considering the rather battered look it has. Though the whole world has a battered look except parts of the ShinRa Building. Anyway, Barret's story gets told and I try to figure out how to maintain balance with all these characters. I don't want to neglect anyone._


	29. Omnicidal Maniacs

_Ah. It's kinda tough writing chapters so far in advance. These were all written in the deep, dark depths of winter and now it's practically spring. Birds are chirping and squawking, the wind is comfortably cool, and I feel more alive than I have in months. These feel so depressing now. That's kinda the idea, but I want to write and read something lively. Thank goodness I've got Yuffie to play with!_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Eight - Omnicidal Maniacs**

The gunfire Cloud heard earlier turned out to be coming from a large, muscular man with a gun in the place of his left hand. He was randomly firing at pieces of trash. Just beyond lay a gaping chasm.

As if there could be any doubt as to the man's identity, Barret took a hesitant step forward before saying, "Dyne... is that you?"

Dyne looked up from his latest inanimate victim, his back to Barret. "Now that's a voice I haven't heard in years..." He turned to face Barret, limping, his face oddly blank. "A voice I'll never forget..."

Cloud had a very bad feeling about this, but if Barret sensed it he didn't give any indication. "I always hoped I'd be able to see you again someday... I knew you were alive somewhere... we had the same operation. Listen to me, Dyne. I want to..."

Whatever Barret wanted to say was cut off by a spray of bullets kicking up sand and dirt at his feet.

"What's that?" Dyne said. "I hear her voice."

Barret finally started to look concerned.

Dyne continued. "I hear her voice, Eleanor's voice. Begging me... not to hate your rotten guts." He looked down. "That's why I didn't hunt you down..."

"I know I was stupid," Barret said. "I'm not asking you to forgive me. But... What're you doin' in a place like this? Why ya wanna kill those that ain't even involved? Why?"

Finally, a show of emotion in Dyne's face, but it wasn't at all friendly. "Why! The hell do you care for!" He pointed with his good hand at Barret. "Are the people killed going to understand 'why'? Are the people of Corel going to understand just hearing ShinRa's excuses?" He switched from pointing with his hand to pointing with his gun-arm. "I don't CARE what the reason is!"

Cloud reached for his sword.

Dyne deflated, his arms going limp at his sides. "All they give us are artillery and stupid excuses... What's left is a world of despair and emptiness..." A glint of something malevolent entered his eyes as he looked back up at Barret. "You still want to hear 'why'? All right, I'll tell you."

He turned away, still limping. "'Cause I want to destroy everything." He shot a car radiator. "The people of this city." He shot the remnants of a crate. "This city itself."

He faced Barret again, his gun-arm aimed at a point near Barret's feet. "The" shot "whole" shot "world!"

Barret winced as the bullets hit far too close for comfort, but he didn't step away.

"I got nothing left in this world." Dyne turned away again, deflating even further. "Corel, Eleanor... Marlene..."

Barret took this moment to speak. "Dyne, Marlene... Marlene's still alive."

Dyne looked over his shoulder, emotion still absent from his face.

"I went back into town. I thought she was gone for sure. That is why I wanted to be by her side till the end. That's when I found her ...found Marlene."

Cloud still held the hilt of his sword, though he hadn't drawn it yet. The conversation confused him a bit. Marlene was Barret's daughter, wasn't she? But it was starting to sound like she was Dyne's.

Barret took half a step forward. "She's in Midgar. Let's go see her together, all right?"

Dyne turned away, looking at the sky. "So... she's still alive... All right, Barret. I guess that means you and I gotta fight."

"What!" That sentiment was echoed among the three companions.

"Eleanor's alone all by herself. I've got to take Marlene to her."

Barret recovered from his shock just enough to shout, "Dyne... are you insane!"

"Marlene wants to see her Mom, don't she?" Dyne turned his gun on Barret and started firing.

Cloud couldn't stand by anymore. He ran forward, blocking the bullets with the flat of his sword.

"Cloud!" Barret grabbed his shoulder. "Git back, this is my fight."

"Can you fight him?"

Barret's face fell. "If I have to. I can't die yet."

"Can't die?" Dyne suddenly stopped shooting. "Well my life's been over ever since then." He lashed out again, the bullets still blocked by Cloud's sword.

"Stop it!" Barret yelled. "I don't wanna fight you!"

Dyne showed no sign of letting up.

Barret growled and pushed Cloud aside. "Stay the hell back and protect Tifa. This is MY problem!"

With a nod, Cloud jumped back. Bullets flew, most well off target. He pushed Tifa behind a pile of scrap metal just as an explosion lit up the clearing.

Cloud peeked above the trash pile. He winced when his suspicions were confirmed. Barret was definitely injured enough to launch that particular limit break.

But Dyne was far more injured. He was on his knees with Barret running toward him.

"Back!" Slowly, painfully, Dyne got to his feet and limped to the bit of chain-link fence hanging over the cliff. "It wasn't just my arm... back then... I lost something irreplaceable. I don't know where I went wrong..."

Barret shook his head. "Dyne... I don't know either, man. Is this the only way... we can resolve this?"

"I told you... I... I want to destroy everything... Everything... This crazy world... Even me..."

"An' what about Marlene? What's gonna happen to her!"

A tear managed to find its way to the corner of Dyne's eye. "Think about it... Barret... How old was Marlene back then...? Even if I did go to her now... she wouldn't even know me... And what's more... Barret..." He looked down at his hand and gun-arm. "These hands are a little too stained to carry Marlene anymore..."

Barret hung his head until Dyne spoke again.

"Barret..." Dyne tossed something small to Barret. "Give that pendant to Marlene... It was... Eleanor's... my wife's... memento..."

Barret picked up the tiny treasure and held it tight in his fist. "All right."

"Wow... Marlene's... already... four..." Dyne staggered closer to the edge of the cliff. "Barret... Don't... make... Don't ever make Marlene... cry..."

Barret looked up. "Dyne...?" Realization struck him. "Dyne!"

Dyne turned and fell backward. The last thing he saw was Barret running toward him, good arm stretched out.

"Dy-ne!" Barret fell to his knees at the cliff's edge. He didn't hear Cloud and Tifa run up behind him, worried he might fall, too. "Dyne. Me an' you were the same... My hands ain't any cleaner... I shouldn't be able to carry... Marlene either..." He looked to the heavens and screamed something guttural, almost feral in its grief and anger.

*7*7*

"So that's that." Tifa finished her explanation to the rest of the group while Barret brooded in the far corner of the room. Everyone had gathered in the old house they'd found Barret in earlier.

Zack shook his head. "Hey, Barret, I'm real sorry it didn't turn out the way you wanted."

Barret grunted something that might have been a reply and fell silent again.

"So now what?" Kunsel said. "We still have to find a way out of here."

Cloud turned to Cait. "You said something about a chocobo race, didn't you?"

"That's right. A Mr. Coates arranges things but we need permission from some mysterious boss and no one will say who he is!"

Kunsel cleared his throat. "I think I may know who he was."

Aerith caught the tense Kunsel used first. "Was?"

"Yeah. I checked things out and figured that this boss guy was someone the locals was scared spitless of. There's one person who would easily fit that description, and he's at the bottom of a gorge."

Zack slumped over in his seat. "Damn, Kunsel, and people say I'm tactless."

"With the local leader dead, then how do we enter this race?" Red's tail flicked as he talked.

Zack cracked his knuckles. "Oh, I think we can be pretty persuasive."

Aerith rolled her eyes and slapped Zack on the arm with the tips of her fingers.

*7*7*

Barret had Mr. Coates by the front of his bright green dress jacket. "Say what?"

"Nooo! Really, even if you threaten me!" Mr. Coates tried not to think about how far off the ground his feet were. "A rule's a rule. I can't change it. If I do, the whole system down here'll get messed up! An' I can't do that!" He gulped in the face of the gun-arm rising into his field of vision. "Okay, okay, I'll let one go up there. After that, he's gotta deal with Dio."

"Looks like that's the best he can do." Zack leaned against the back wall, thoroughly enjoying himself.

Barret let Mr. Coates drop to the floor. "Awright then."

Kunsel slapped Cloud on the back. "Good luck with the race!"

"What?" Cloud's eyes widened.

Aerith giggled. "Yes, good luck, Cloud!"

"You get along well with the birds and you're the smallest guy so you get to be the jockey." Zack grinned.

Barret crossed his arms over his chest. "Hurry up an' win that chocobo race, an' get us outta here!"

Mr. Coates straightened his tie, shirt, and jacket, trying to compose himself. "Have you decided? You'll need to get a manager, register, and get a chocobo..."

A voice from the entrance to the trailer interrupted any further instructions Mr. Coates might have had. "Hi. I happened to hear your story."

Everyone turned. In the doorway stood a woman in a poofy pink dress with a white apron and frilly white gloves. She had black triangles painted under each eye. A pink plume was pinned in her hair.

Mr. Coates blinked. "Ester?"

Ester stepped in, waving to Cloud. "I'll be your manager."

"Well, I have nothing against it, but..." Mr. Coates shook his head, apparently changing his mind about whatever he'd been about to say. "This is Ester. She may look kinda funny, but there's no better manager in the races."

Ester put her hands on her hips and bounced once on her toes. "That's so rude..." She sighed dramatically. "Yeah, well. Nice to meet you, Cloud."

"All right then," Mr. Coates said, finally sounding more relaxed as it was apparent no one was going to kill him. "I'll send you up on the elevator. Ester'll fill you in on the details."

*7*7*

"#$^# piece of #&$."

Tifa shook her head. "I don't think cursing it will make it work, Barret."

"Got it!" Kunsel slid out from behind the warped entertainment unit. "Something had been trying to eat one of the electrical cords. I think I fixed it up enough for it to work for a little while."

"About time!" Yuffie flipped on the TV. A couple channels of snow later they finally had a view of the starting lineup for the chocobo race.

Tifa sat on a crate near the set. "Are they going to be starting soon?"

"Probably." Zack sat on the floor with his arm wrapped around Aerith's waist. Suddenly, he pointed at the screen. "Hey! Check out Cloud!"

Aerith giggled while Yuffie all but rolled on the floor laughing. "It's like the chocobo has two heads!" Yuffie shrieked between breaths.

_"And they're off!"_ The TV announcer yelled.

The room erupted into cheers and conflicting advice as Cloud worked his way up the pack. Thankfully, Cloud couldn't hear them, though no one seemed aware of that. He leaned in low against his mount, urging the bird to hug the inside curves of the track as much as possible.

_"This is incredible, folks! This new jockey is coming in neck and neck with Marionette! Looks like Sunshine's Daisy is going to have her work cut out for her in the last stretch!"_

Aerith nearly jumped to her feet. "Come on, Cloud! You can do it!"

The chocobos slowed as they entered a simulated star field. Cloud gripped onto his chocobo tighter, urging the bird on. He pulled ahead inches from the finish line.

Whatever the announcer said, something about unprecedented, was drowned out by a chorus of triumphant shouts.

One shout in particular got everyone's attention.

"HA!" Kunsel pointed at Yuffie. "Pay up!"

Barret whirled around at the little ninja who was begrudgingly handing over a handful of gil. "Ya bet AGAINST us?"

"Of course I did!" Yuffie was too mad at losing to even consider feeling scared at Barret's glower. "You have any idea how rare it is for a newbie to win a chocobo race? Cloud's got some kind of weird luck."

Kunsel chuckled. "Yeah, well now you can pay Cloud back for the gil you spent playing at the arcade."

"Why does everyone get after me for that!" Yuffie threw her arms in the air. "It's an AMUSEMENT park! Lighten up! Jeez!"

"Maybe if ye'd used your own money to begin with..." Cait said.

Yuffie stuck out her tongue at the stuffed cat.

"Any ideas when we'll know if we're gettin' outta here?" Barret stood up from the crate he'd nearly crushed by sitting on it.

Kunsel shrugged. "Cloud will probably need some time to talk with Dio, and hopefully convince him that we're all innocent."

Tifa's face fell. "Then it could take a while. Cloud's never been very good with people."

"I'm sure he'll do fine." Aerith's smile instantly brightened the room.

In fact, a few minutes later Mr. Coates slipped into the trailer and told them that Dio had something for them. He looked even more nervous than when AVALANCHE took over his office.

When they stepped outside the reason quickly became apparent. At the edge of the settled area sat a large buggy guarded by muscle-bound men in shiny leotards. A smaller man in a three-piece suit stepped out from behind the wall of flesh.

"Ah, greetings," the man said. "I'm the assistant manager of the Gold Saucer. Dio extends his appologies for the inconvenience and offers this buggy as reparations."

"Nice!" In barely a second, Zack had his phone out and at his ear. "Hey, Cloud! Guess what!"

Kunsel heard Cloud's side of the conversation from where he stood a few feet away. _"What?"_

"We've got wheels! We can drive right out of this crazy desert."

_"That's great, Zack..."_

Kunsel did not like the way Cloud trailed off at the end. From the look on his face, neither did Zack.

"What's wrong?"

_"... You said you're from Gongaga, right."_

"Yeah." Zack was frowning now. "Why?"

_"Because... that's where Sephiroth is going next."_

* * *

_The confrontation with Dyne and getting out of the prison. I always kinda felt sorry for Dyne. Well, aside from the whole mass-murder thing, but he was pretty obviously not right in the head. I mean, really, the guy was hearing voices, and we are given no reason to believe he'd been exposed to mako or Jenova cells. Not that hearing voices is normal even then. Good grief. One really wonders if there are any therapists at all in the FFVII universe._


	30. A Place To Return To

**Chapter Twenty-Nine - A Place To Return To**

"Zack, would you SLOW DOWN?" Kunsel started to seriously regret putting dibs on 'shotgun.'

In the seats just behind them sat Cloud and Yuffie, as the spaces closest to the front would move the least. From the green shade they'd both turned, it looked like it wasn't helping much. Aerith sat next to Yuffie, insisting on tending to the girl and holding a bucket as needed.

The back seat was occupied by Tifa, Barret, and Red. Two of them trying their best to ignore the cursing of the third and the bouncing of the buggy. Cait and his moogle were wedged into what floor space there was, his complaints went silent the instant Barret suggest they could tie him to the roof instead.

"Oooog," Yuffie groaned. "Somebody hurry up and kill me. Or better yet, kill the maniac who's driving."

"Zack." Aerith's voice was soft and quiet, barely audible over the noise of the engine and the wind.

Finally, Zack let up a little bit on the gas. "Sorry. It's just..." His grip tightened on the steering wheel, threatening to crush the innocent machine part. "If anything happens and I'm not there..."

"We'll deal with it." Kunsel sank into his seat. "Look, have you considered that maybe this is a trap? I mean, maybe someone from ShinRa fed this info to Dio hoping he'd pass it along to us. They've got to know your connection to Gongaga."

"I know." Zack looked disturbingly grim. "Last time I was there Cissnei warned me off."

Kunsel snapped upright at that. "Cissnei? That cu..." He shrank back from Zack's glare. "Uh, okay, so you know why we have to be careful."

"Yeah. I won't even go into town. Just so long as I know my folks are safe that's fine."

"Absolutely not!" Aerith's sudden outburst nearly had Zack and Kunsel (not to mention everyone else) jumping through the roof. "When was the last time you saw your parents? Do they even know you're alive? You can't do this to them!"

"I'm trying not to bring ShinRa straight to their doorstep!"

"I know you are! But don't you understand how worried they must be? How much they must want to see you again?"

Zack sighed. "I'm not even sure they'd recognize me. It's been a long time."

If not for his heightened senses, Zack probably wouldn't have heard Cloud speak. "At least you still have parents."

Zack looked over his shoulder. Cloud leaned against the window, his eyes half-lidded and turned to the outside world. He seemed unaware that anyone heard him.

"Yeah."

*7*7*

Reno twirled his EMR between his fingers. At his feet lay the dirt road leading into Gongaga. Behind him lay hills covered in jungle foliage. Ahead of him lay more hills covered in jungle foliage. He swatted a fly that tried to take up residence under his collar.

"I really hate assignments like this. Only upside is it's winter, otherwise the humidity'd kill me."

Rude, standing impassive next to him, said nothing.

"Ehhh. I don't know why we have to run security for Scarlet, anyway. There's nothing out here besides those damn frogs."

"AVALANCHE might be in the area."

"Yeah, yeah, so he says. Don't know if I trust it, though." Reno stopped twirling his rod, opting instead to tap it against his shoulder. "What are we supposed to do with our down time around here? If we try to pick up any girls we're likely to get a shotgun up our asses."

Rude grunted.

Reno grinned. "Hey, Rude. Who do you like?"

Rude shuffled away, his posture stiffer than usual.

"What are you getting so embarrassed about?" Reno laughed. "Come on? Who do you like?"

Long paused. "Tifa."

Tifa? Oh, that AVALANCHE chick. "Hmmmm..." Yeah, Reno could see that. Nice legs, even better rack, and if the security footage was anything to go by, she had some hot moves. Too bad she was the enemy. Which was pretty much par for the course with Rude. "That's a tough one. But, poor Elena. She... you..."

Rude shifted his shoulders. "No, she likes Tseng."

Reno nearly dropped his EMR. "I never knew that!" And he thought her embarrassment around him was newbie nerves. How could he miss such an opportunity to tease? "But Tseng likes that Ancient..."

"Hmm. And the Ancient is with that one SOLDIER."

Reno sighed. "You guys just make things too complicated. I'm sticking to picking up dates in bars." He looked up to see Elena walking toward them, frowning. "Hey! You seen Tseng around?"

"He's with Scarlet." Elena tried to fight down the blush in her cheeks. "Is the area secure?"

"As secure as it'll get." Reno let out an exaggerated stretch and yawn. "What's Scarlet want with a hick town like this, anyway?"

"No idea," Elena said, "but it has something to do with the reactor."

*7*7*

"I can't believe I got partnered with you."

Kunsel sighed from his position in the tree next to Yuffie. "The feeling is mutual, trust me." Though the team up made sense in a way. Yuffie was trained as a ninja (mostly) and Kunsel was the next most qualified to run surveillance. Now if only Yuffie weren't so much like an annoying little sister.

He tilted his head back and followed the faint sound of a helicopter overhead. "Sounds like they're going to the reactor."

"Great. Let's go get 'em."

"Whoa there." Kunsel easily caught the little ninja by the back of her crop top. "What part of 'scouting' do you not get?"

"I get it, I get it! I meant catch up with them so we can figure out what they're up to."

"Fine. But we're going to be quiet, understand?"

Yuffie crossed her arms. "Of course I understand. Don't treat me like a kid."

"Then don't act like one." Kunsel let her drop silently to the jungle floor before swinging down to follow.

Soon enough they left the jungle and had to pick their way through the twisted remnants of the Gongaga reactor. From one of the few stable hiding spots they looked down at the two people approaching what had been the main core.

"So who's the bimbo?" Yuffie whispered, pointing to the blond woman in a revealing red dress.

"Scarlet, Head of ShinRa Weapon Development. From what I've heard, 'bimbo' is a pretty good description. Now shush."

"Hmph! This isn't any good either." Scarlet stalked about the path around the core, careful not to actually touch anything. "You only get junky materia from junky reactors." She took a moment to throw one last disgusted look at the ruin before returning to her companion, or rather bodyguard, Tseng. "This reactor's a failure. What I'm looking for is big, large, huge materia." She flung an arm out to indicate the reactor and surrounding jungle. "You seen any?"

Tseng remained impassive. "No, I haven't seen it. I'll get on it right away."

Scarlet sniffed. "Please. We could make the ultimate weapon if we only had some."

"I just can't wait." His monotone made it hard to tell if sarcasm was intended.

Scarlet continued picking her way to the helicopter. A jungle wasn't a good place for stiletto heals. "With Hojo gone, the Weapon Development Department's been getting a bigger budget."

More monotone from Tseng. "I envy them."

"But, even if we make the perfect weapon, could that stupid Heidegger ever use it?" She turned her head to look at Tseng. "Oh... sorry! I forgot Heidegger was your boss!" Her laugh could make a deaf man's ears bleed. "Let's go!"

The moment the ShinRa helicopter vanished into the distance, Yuffie darted out toward where Scarlet had been standing, with Kunsel close behind.

"What are you doing!"

Yuffie hopped around a warped structural support. "Checking out what they were looking for. The creepy woman mentioned materia, right?"

"Yeah. Huge materia. There's a chunk at the Junon underwater reactor that's used as a power source for the canon."

"Cool. Ah-hah!" Yuffie jumped out of the rubble holding a small red ball triumphantly in her fist.

"Another summon materia. Can you tell what it is?"

"No clue, but it's materia so it's mine!" She held it protectively to her tiny chest.

Kunsel sighed. "As long as you don't try to use it you can hold it, at least until we get back to the others."

*7*7*

Minny Fair just finished putting dinner on the table when she heard a faint knock on her front door.

"That's odd. Since when does anyone bother to knock?" Dan Fair started to stand but was quickly stopped by a gesture from his wife.

"Sit. I'm already up so I'll see who it is."

Three steps to open the door. On the stoop stood a muscular young man with black hair and startling blue eyes. Minny frowned in confusion. She felt like she should know this man.

Then he smiled. "Hey, dinner's still at six, right?"

"ZACK!" Minny dragged her son into the house. "Where have you been? Are you eating right? Dan! It's Zack!"

Dan was already standing and thumping Zack on the back. "You've grown! Guess city life agreed with you, after all."

"Dan! Let the boy catch his breath! Now you sit down and I'll set another place for you at the table."

Zack's face very nearly broke from smiling so much. "Mom, Dad, it's great to see you, too, but aren't you forgetting someone?"

At his parents' confused looks he pointed back to the open doorway. There stood Aerith, hands clasped in front of her in a moment of shyness.

"Oh, where are my manners! Come in, dear, come in." Minny didn't wait for Aerith to take a step, preferring to haul the poor girl in and plop her into a chair next to Zack.

"I did warn you," Zack whispered to Aerith as his mom busied herself with dishes and food.

Dan's smile revealed where Zack got his. "It's good to see you again, son. I was all ready to chew you out for not coming to see us in ten years, but I guess if you had a girl like this in Midgar I can understand."

"Yeah." Zack only broke his gaze on Aerith when his mom brought the food. "Oh, Mom, Dad, this is Aerith. Aerith, well, I guess you can tell these are my parents."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," Aerith said.

"Same here." Minny's brown eyes twinkled above the steaming pot of hot dish she set on the table. "I wish we could say Zack's told us all about you, but he's only written one letter in the last ten years."

Aerith whirled on Zack. "Only one! How could you?"

Zack held his hands up in defense. "Hey! I was... I mean... Mom, did you have to tell her that?"

Dan gave Zack a stern look. "We were worried about you, son. I know that the country life isn't what you wanted, but you could've at least tried to include us in the life you chose."

"I know." Zack hung his head. "I guess... I didn't know how. Or I was just so caught up in what I was doing that I didn't really stop to think."

Minny served Zack an extra large helping of hot dish. "Well, you're here now and that's what matters. Are you staying long?"

"'Fraid not." Zack smiled at his mom. "Thanks. My friends and I are kinda in the middle of trying to save the planet. After that, though, I... I wouldn't mind coming back and help rebuild the village." He glanced over at Aerith. "Maybe settle down?"

Aerith laughed. "Zack! Is that supposed to be a proposal?"

Zack scratched the back of his neck. "Uh, yeah. I mean, I did risk my life getting back to you, so..."

Minny giggled. "Oh, Dan, do you remember when you proposed to me?"

"Sure I do. Thought I was going to keel over right there, but at least I managed to actually propose." He waved his fork at Zack. "Now listen here, if you're going to get this fine lady to accept you you're gonna have to do a better job than that. Have you even gotten her parents' blessing on this?"

Zack groaned, his head resting heavily on the table. "Mom, Dad, you aren't even letting her answer first."

"Because we aren't letting you make a mess out of this. Now sit up straight and eat your food. Your Mom and I'd like to hear about what you've been up to these last ten years."

*7*7*

Yuffie rolled on her back, her legs kicking the air. She tried several times to say something, but couldn't get anything coherent out passed the laughter.

"It's not really that funny," Kunsel said, snickering.

Tifa frowned at Kunsel and Yuffie. "Of course it's not funny! How are we supposed to change them back?"

"Wha' kinda crazy place is this, an'ways?" Barret glared over his shoulder at the rough trail down through the jungle. "Turnin' people into frogs? Gotta be kiddin' me."

Yuffie took another look at the two large bullfrogs in Tifa's arms and exploded into another laughing fit. Kunsel did a much better job of sobering up.

"I take it you were attacked by touch mes. They're native to the area and are easily mistaken for normal frogs, until they touch you, that is." Kunsel tried to cover up a laugh with a weak cough. "If we had esuna or maiden's kiss we could reverse the effect fairly easily."

"Wait," Tifa said, "'maiden's kiss'?"

"It's a specialized potion that's used to cure people who've been turned into frogs. I've heard the name is based on a story about a young girl who rescued a prince trapped in a frog's body by kissing him."

"Ew!" Yuffie sat up, her face scrunched up in disgust. "Who'd kiss a frog!"

Tifa sighed. "So I guess one of us will have to go to the village to see if anyone has some maiden's kiss."

"Or wait," Kunsel said. "I think the transformation is usually temporary."

Tifa set the frogs down next to Kunsel. "I think I'll go, anyway, just for my own peace of mind."

"I'll go wit' ya," Barret said, "'n case any of those weird frogs show up again."

Kunsel failed to repress a snort at the thought of Barret turned into a frog. Mainly at the mental image of a frog with a tiny gun-arm. "I don't know if any stores will be open this time of day. It's getting kind of late."

Just then, Kunsel's phone rang. "Hey, Zack, how's the visit going? Yeah? Wasn't the idea to attract as little attention as possible? They insist. Right. Okay, can you ask them if they have any maiden's kiss on hand? Yes, Zack, why else would I... Yeah, it's very funny. Cloud and Red. Hmm. Maybe five minutes. Okay, bye." He sighed as he put the phone away. "Zack's parents want us to come over for dinner."

"Finally!" Yuffie cried. "I'm so sick of jerky!"

_I was kinda looking forward to this. Also kinda dreading. Zack's parents never got much (any) characterization and I wasn't sure how to handle them. I don't know if I did a good job with them. How would most people react to the son they haven't seen in ten years appearing out of nowhere like that? At least I had a lot of good references for how they'd probably talk. Growing up in a small town has it's advantages. Anyway, thought I'd have a little fun with the most annoying monster in the Gongaga area. I hate those little frog things!_

_Also, Mrs. Fair's first name is kind of a double joke. I wonder if anyone will get it._


	31. Anxiety

Well, I feel stupid. Thought I uploaded this chapter this morning. Now it's nearly midnight and I realized, oops, I didn't. *headdesk*

* * *

**Chapter Thirty - Anxiety**

The Fair house quickly became AVALANCHE's temporary headquarters. Kunsel and Barret argued over strategies while Minny roped the girls into helping in the kitchen. Zack tried to help Kunsel, but Dan kept pulling him away to help with evening chores. Dan seemed especially fond of giving the most labor intensive tasks to Zack, almost to the point where Zack wondered if his dad could have been saving those chores for him. Cloud ended up helping, too, after getting cured, of course. Red just curled up in a corner and glared at anyone who teased him about his time as a frog.

When Zack did have a moment away from chores there wasn't any more planning for him to help with. Though Kunsel did have a materia he wanted identified. And pried away from Yuffie.

"I'm pretty sure it's an earth based summon," Kunsel said, "but I can't tell more than that."

Zack turned the small orb over a couple times in his palm. Suddenly his face brightened. "Titan! Wasn't expecting to see him as a summon."

"You know him?"

"Sure." Zack handed the summon back to Kunsel, despite Yuffie jumping at it. "He's kind of a local god. I mean, no one worships him formally or anything, but the first day of planting season is dedicate to him and the first cutting of each harvest is buried as an offering."

"Yeah, yeah, he's like Leviathan but less awesome. Give me back my materia!"

Kunsel put a hand on Yuffie's head to stop her jumping. "It's not yours. Now, weren't you supposed to be doing something?"

"I was kicked out of the kitchen because I was making a mess. Now gimme!"

"No. Since this summon is important to Gongaga, I think it'd be better if Zack holds on to it."

Yuffie pouted for the rest of the day. Zack felt bad about that, but agreed with Kunsel that letting Yuffie handle a summon probably wouldn't be a good idea.

Then came assigning sleeping space. The girls ended up with Zack's old room. For privacy, Minny reasoned. Cloud got the couch, since he was short enough to fit. Red stayed in his spot near the door. The dinner table was pushed to the wall to make space on the floor for everyone else. It wasn't an ideal arrangement, the floor was hard and Barret's snoring could wake the dead, but it worked.

At least, for a while.

Cloud went to sleep exhausted. At first, he tried to keep himself awake but even Barret's snoring couldn't stave off the effects of fatigue. And so the nightmares started. Somehow, they were always worse on nights like this. He had nightmares every night, usually images of Nibelheim burning or Zack bleeding to death in the reactor, but that was understandable.

This was different. In this dream he stood over the bodies of his friends, their blood matting his hair and running down his fingers. He stood, frozen, not knowing what had happened or what he was doing there.

Then one of the bodies moved. Someone wasn't quite dead yet. He wanted to run to that person, ask them what happened, find out if there was anything he could do to help.

He walked slowly. On the way he picked up his sword. Why, he didn't know. Soon, he stood over the body struggling to stay alive.

Who it was changed from dream to dream. Most often, he couldn't tell until they looked at him, the eyes giving away the identity of the blood soaked body. This time the eyes were green, fear replacing their usual playfulness.

He raised his sword, and the eyes widened.

_**What am I doing?**_

_Finish it! Now!_

_**What? No!**_

_Do it!_

His resistance to the voice weakened and the sword dropped.

Cloud stared at the ceiling, the image of his sword reflected in Aerith's eyes still playing through his head. How long had he slept this time? Not nearly long enough to get any rest. The sky outside the window was pitch black broken by fuzzy stars too weak to penetrate the spaces between the stones forming the outer wall of the house.

There was no way he was going back to sleep. On any other day he'd quietly slip out of camp, claiming he had to find a bush if the person on guard saw him.

Here he'd have to climb over three bodies and find some way of moving Red just to get to the door.

He shuddered, knowing that his friends laying still on the floor were alive and not covered in blood, but the light was too dim for a visual verification.

For a moment he considered just resting until everyone else got up. But then he might fall asleep again and he didn't want to live through that nightmare twice in one night. Even if he ended up so tired he had it again anyway the next day.

So he crept to the end of the couch near the dinner table. From there he crawled to a chair, wincing when the floor groaned under him. Finally, he reached the kitchen door and easy access to the back stoop.

The night sky of Gongaga was a lot different from Nibelheim or Midgar. This time of year Nibelheim's sky would be cold and deep, the stars sharp pin pricks in the endless sky. When they weren't hiding behind all too close storm clouds burdened with snow, that is. Midgar's sky was always thick with smog that reflected the sickly green light from the reactors. True darkness didn't exist in Midgar.

Gongaga's sky hung close and hazy with moisture. It probably rained a lot.

"Nice view, huh?"

Cloud spun around at the voice, realizing just a little late that it belonged to Kunsel. "Uh, yeah."

Kunsel leaned against the door frame. "I grew up in Midgar, the first time I saw stars was after I joined SOLDIER. Don't tell him this, but I was kind of jealous of Zack growing up in the country."

"Hmm."

"So... couldn't sleep?"

"Yeah."

Kunsel shook his head. "You're not the easiest person to have a conversation with, you know that? Eh, never mind. Want to spar a bit?"

Cloud blinked. "What?"

"Do you want to spar? We're up, anyway, and it might help us sleep for the rest of the night."

"I..." Cloud looked away. "I don't want to sleep."

Kunsel raised an eyebrow, but otherwise didn't comment. "So how about sparing?"

Cloud sighed. "Yeah, okay."

"Great." Kunsel handed him his sword before picking up his own. "There's a bit of meadow just outside the village. It should be far enough away that we don't wake anyone up."

*7*7*

Kunsel grunted from another barely-blocked blow. "You have definitely been practicing with Zack."

"Is that a bad thing?" Cloud jumped back, his sword in a defensive position.

"It is for me." Kunsel rolled his sore shoulders as he circled Cloud, looking for an opening. "You've got to learn how to hold back or you're going to take off my arms one of these days."

"Sorry," Cloud muttered.

Kunsel took the opening Cloud's guilt left and rapped him over the head with the flat of his sword. "Don't apologize, improve. This sort of thing happens. Zack's sent me to the infirmary more times than I can count."

Cloud winced as he rubbed his head. "He did?"

"Yeah, but he got better and so can you. It's all about control."

"Why are you doing this?"

Kunsel raised an eyebrow. "What? Helping?" He shrugged. "Just thought you could use a hand, I guess."

"I don't..." Cloud shook his head. He was being childish. "Maybe. I have been breaking things more often."

*7*7*

Rufus Shinra stood before the bay windows of his office in the military base north of the Corel mountains. Technically, the office was normally used by the base commander, but Rufus appropriated it for his own use. He noted the reflection of Tseng entering the office behind him.

"Scarlet seemed upset after your return. Did something happen?"

Tseng stood at attention at the desk. "No, Mr. President."

"Ah. So that's why." He turned and took his seat at the desk, motioning for Tseng to do the same. "And what of our ears on the inside? Anything to report?"

"The second class SOLDIER who defected is competent in strategy. They did enter Gongaga, but only after we left. It seems they are staying with Fair's parents for the night. We could return and apprehend them if you wish."

"That would defeat the purpose of having planted a spy, wouldn't it?" Rufus allowed himself a small smirk. "You are forgetting, I am not my father. Our ears seem well established, let them work a bit longer. Perhaps AVALANCHE will save us the trouble of finding Sephiroth."

*7*7*

"So what did you guys think of Gongaga?" Zack sat in the front passenger seat of the buggy this time as Kunsel insisted on driving.

Murmurs and shouts that added up to a generally positive impression rose from the group. Zack grinned and leaned back in his seat. Yeah. Gongaga was the best place in the world.

A few minutes later, Aerith, still acting as Yuffie's bucket-holder, spoke. "Cloud, what are you holding?"

"Hmm? Oh, an egg."

Zack wasn't sure if he should look back at Cloud, or across at Kunsel who chose that moment to snicker. "What's going on?"

Kunsel's shoulders shook with repressed laughter. "Just some training so Cloud can learn to control his strength."

It was Zack's turn to hold back a chuckle. "That's a good idea." He knew from personal experience how much a gooey egg could motivate someone not to grip things too hard. Especially if _someone_ had left the egg out in the sun for a few days. "Did you bring spares?"

"Yeah." Kunsel was losing his fight against laughter. "They're in the trunk with the rest of the gear."

Oh, this was going to be good. He wasn't looking forward to the smell, but it'd be good not to be on the receiving end for once.

*7*7*

Red quickly gave up trying to hold a conversation with anyone in the buggy. While he could hear everyone just fine, he found that he had to repeat himself far too often for his liking. So he tried to make himself comfortable and watched the world through the window. Truly, the planet was a wonderful place. Perhaps one day he would explore it all, after the battles were over and he could enjoy the journey.

Speaking of battles. "What is that?"

Everyone looked back, except for Yuffie who was too nauseated to care. Following the buggy was a huge creature covered in horns and bony plates. Its front claws could easily cover one of the buggy's doors completely.

"Oh you have gotta be kidding!" Zack checked his bracer for materia then threw open the door. "Kunsel! Floor it now!"

"Right!"

Zack barely registered a faint crunching sound as he leaned out the door.

Tifa leaned forward. "What is it?"

"A grand horn!" Kunsel yelled back. "It's pretty easy to beat, despite appearances, but it could do some serious damage to the buggy in the process."

An explosion behind them forced Kunsel's attention back to the road.

"Wha's that foo' doin'?" Barret turned around as far as he could without squashing Tifa with his gun-arm.

"Hey! Watch where you're aiming that! Some of us have to drive this thing!"

"And I'm going to puke all over you if you keep driving like that!"

Cloud leaned forward. "Kunsel, do you have any materia on you?"

"Yeah. It's equipped to the bangle on my left wrist. I'm kinda busy making sure we don't crash, though."

"That's okay, is it an attack type?"

Kunsel glanced back quickly before returning his eyes to the road. "It's lightning, why?"

"Just hold your hand up. I'll unequip it for you."

Kunsel shrugged. "Fine, but you could try keeping some materia on you."

"That... feels funny."

_Ookay._ Normally, Kunsel would press the issue, but he had driving to do. The instant he felt the materia leave his bangle he brought his left hand back to the steering wheel.

Cloud equipped the lightning materia to his bangle and rolled down the window. The force of the subsequent bolt attack jerked the buggy almost to the other side of the road.

"What the hell!"

Watch what you're doing!"

"I'm gonna-_blurk!_"

"Hey! Careful where ye aim that!"

"He's not attacking the grand horn."

Zack looked over the top of the buggy to where Cloud fired the spell. Two giant insects flew parallel to the road. "Oh come on! Chimera bugs now? Hang on, everyone!" He aimed a couple fire balls at the bugs.

Cloud fired another bolt before the bugs retreated.

Several miles further on they were sure there weren't any more monsters and Kunsel pulled over. Red took several deep breaths of clean, vomit-free, air. Yuffie swore and declared her hatred of everyone as she stumbled to the ditch to empty the rest of her stomach. Aerith followed her out of the buggy, her nose wrinkled at the bucket in her hands. Soon, the buggy lay empty and stinky.

"Great." Kunsel dropped his head onto the top of driver-side door. "So what do we do now?"

Tifa covered her nose and mouth before risking a look inside. "Probably find some water so we can clean the inside. Is that... egg?"

Cloud hid his left hand behind his back and edged away from the buggy. "I'll, ah, look for a stream."

"Gonna take more 'en just water ta get that mess cleaned up," Barret said. "Damn brat, more trouble 'en she's worth."

"Barret!" Aerith stomped up to him. All five-foot-two of her trying to stare down Barret's six-foot-four. "Yuffie can't help getting motion sick. How would you feel if someone said that about Marlene?"

"Don't bring Marlene into this!"

"Why not? It's perfectly valid. You aren't used to thinking about other people's feelings, are you."

While Aerith held her little counseling session with Barret, Zack made his own inspection of the buggy interior. Holding his breath the entire time, of course. "Phew! Hey, Cait, think you can pull up the carpet in here?"

"Eh? Why me?"

"Because you don't have a sense of smell."

"Oh, all right. But ye're payin' the bill if I need to be cleaned."

* * *

_And I try another dream sequence and truncate the Gongaga visit. I wrote this at a time when I wasn't sure how well I'd done Zack's parents and felt that they really should get back on the road. At some point I have got to inventory what equipment they all have and just how long it'd take to get everything done. I'm starting to feel a bit anxious. For some reason, the fight from the buggy sort of wrote itself. Maybe because I've wondered for so long how the party could be attacked while driving the buggy, but not while riding chocobos._


	32. Twilight Town

**Chapter Thirty-One - Twilight Town**

"Are you feeling any better?" The guys seemed to have things with the buggy under control, so Aerith went to check on Yuffie.

Yuffie jumped up and punched the air rapidly. "I'm fine, of course! I'd like to see any monsters try to attack now. I'd make short work of them!"

"That's good to hear. Everyone is so busy right now I doubt anyone would notice a monster if it came up and bit them."

"More monsters for me." Yuffie struck a heroic pose. "Just watch. Monsters don't stand a chance against the Great Ninja Yuffie Kisaragi!"

*7*7*

"So I guess we won't need the water after all." Cloud scratched his head as he looked at the growing pile of carpet scraps.

Tifa shook her head. "I'd hate to see you go to all that trouble for nothing. Maybe we could make lunch? It seems like we'll be here for a while."

"We don't need to get water for that."

"After eating at the Fair's, I don't think anyone wants to go right back to eating dried food." Tifa smiled as she reached for Cloud's hand. The smile faded when she touched his glove. "Cloud? Why is your glove soaked?"

Cloud stared at the ground, his head turned so Tifa couldn't see his face. "I had to wash it. Excuse me." He bolted for the back of the buggy. Curious, Tifa followed him.

A little too carefully, Cloud opened the trunk and fished out a carton of eggs. Tifa watched as he took one out. He glanced at her for only a moment before putting the carton back.

"It's... training."

"Holding an egg?" Tifa's face contorted into a stiff smile as she tried not to laugh. He looked so much like a little boy.

Cloud scratched the back of his head with his free hand. "Yeah."

"You can still help me with lunch, right?"

"I can't cook."

"Really?" A lot of things came to mind, most of them things Tifa felt she couldn't say. Especially when Cloud nodded, looking so ashamed. "Well, that's all right. I can teach you."

"Hmm. Okay."

*7*7*

"I was not designed for this, I'll have you know." Cait tossed out the last piece of carpet.

Barret crossed his arms. "Yeah, yeah. You're still the best fer the job, so jes' suck it up."

Cait shrugged and hopped onto his moogle. "Hey!" he shouted into his megaphone. "Push that disgustin' pile over there inta the ditch!"

The moogle waddled as it was told. As soon as the mess fell into the mud Zack motioned for Cait and the moogle to back up.

"Okay! Now to clean up!" He held out his fist as magic swirled. The blast knocked Cait to the pavement and sent dried clumps of dirt flying into everyone and everything.

"Ya call that cleanin' up?" Barret wiped bits of dirt and grassroots out of his face.

Kunsel shook the dirt out of his hair. "Firaga was kinda overkill."

"Yeah, probably." Zack shrugged. "But I wanted to be sure the fire didn't last long and took care of all the carpet pieces."

"And then some." Kunsel looked down at the crater the spell left. "I'm not sure picking up new materia in Gongaga was such a great idea now."

"What happened!" Yuffie ran up followed by Aerith. "Did a monster attack? Why didn't you leave any for me?"

Aerith looked over everyone, checking for injuries. "Are you all right?"

Zack scratched the back of his neck. "Everyone's fine, really. It was, uh..."

"Zack was disposing of the soiled carpet." Red scratched inside his ears before shaking himself. "The effect was stronger than anticipated."

"That's good to know," Cloud said as he walked up to the group with Tifa. He looked down at his hands. "I'm... going to need another egg."

Kunsel snorted. "You can take care of that after lunch. Speaking of which, something smells good."

"Cloud made it." Tifa smiled.

"Uh-oh. We might want to skip lunch, then." Zack feigned disgust long enough for Cloud to scowl at him. The act dropped quickly into laughter.

"He did just fine, really!"

"Tifa helped," Cloud muttered.

Aerith took Cloud's unsoiled hand and smiled at him. "Ignore Zack, I'm sure your food tastes just as good as it smells."

Cloud ducked his head to hide his face and muttered something that sounded vaguely like thanks.

*7*7*

Ka-thunk.

Sputter.

Spark.

Die.

"You know, the last time an engine quit on me, I mostly avoided an ambush."

"Not helping, Zack."

"Ain't none of ya helpin'! You jes gonna stare it all day or what?"

"I know a little about motorcycle engines. ... This isn't anything like that."

"So you guys can't fix it? Yes! No more crazy driving!"

"Yuffie!"

"That's certainly how it looks. My guess is a rock or maybe some sand got in and gunked everythin' up. But I don't know how we could take it apart to check without makin' things worse."

Red stood slightly apart from everyone else as they examined and argued over the broken engine. They had spent the night in the scrublands bordering the land he knew all his life. As the sun rose, they followed the highway through the red sandstone cliffs and ever more familiar smelling air.

"My home is near here," he said. "There will probably be someone who can help with the buggy."

Zack looked up from his futile attempts to make sense of the engine. "You're from Cosmo Canyon? Why didn't you say anything? We could've taken the turn off four miles back."

"I was uncertain how you would respond." Red's ears drooped. He lowered his head and looked away.

Aerith knelt next to Red. "We would have stopped. I'm sorry if we haven't done enough to earn your trust yet. We've all been so distracted with our own problems that we never stopped to consider what you must be feeling."

"Guess we're heading for Cosmo Canyon, then." Kunsel closed the hood. "I'll just put the buggy in neutral so we can push it."

*7*7*

Zack couldn't help laughing at the way Barret's dark face blanched at the sight of the stone stairs rising up the canyon wall. Even Cloud chuckled in a strangled sort of way. Tifa tried to pat Barret's shoulder in a gesture of comfort, her barely contained giggles ruining the effect.

"I'm gettin' the impression we're missin' an inside joke," Cait whispered to Red.

Kunsel grinned over at the robot cat. "Barret has... issues with stairs."

"Oh, Barret, it's not that bad." Aerith giggled as she started up the steps. "Just one foot after the other."

Barret grumbled, but followed everyone. Red bounded ahead with Zack, Cloud, and Kunsel just behind him. When the town gate, guarded by a man in brown and tan robes, came into view, he ran just that little bit faster.

"I am home! It is I, Nanaki!"

The guard looked up and grinned as the red furred beast lept up to greet him. "Hey, Nanaki! You're safe! Come on, and say hello to Bugenhagen!"

Red nodded and ran into the village.

"... Nanaki?" Cloud cocked his head to one side, a gesture that had Zack repressing the urge to make a 'curious chocobo' joke.

Kunsel smiled. "That seems to be his name."

The rest of the party soon joined them at the top of the steps.

Tifa stepped next to Cloud. "Red seems different, doesn't he?"

"It's probably because he was able to come home."

"I think I've heard of this place," Aerith said. "I wonder if there's any relation to the planet or the Ancients..."

"That's possible," Kunsel said. "Cosmo Canyon is a place where people come to study the planet. So they might know something about the Ancients, too."

Barret grunted an affirmative.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Zack trotted up to the guard. "Hey!"

The guard nodded. "Welcome to Cosmo Canyon. Are you familiar with this land?"

"Not really, though I have passed by here before."

"Let me explain." The guard took a deep breath, apparently he'd given this speech a lot. "People from all over the world gather here to seek the Study of Planet Life. _Ummgah!_ It's full capacity at present, so I'm afraid I can't let you enter."

"Eh? But..."

Nanaki appeared at the steps just inside the gate. "They helped me some when I was on the road. Please let them in."

"Some?" Kunsel raised an eyebrow. Nanaki didn't hear him, he was already running back up the stairs.

"...Oh, is that so?" The guard turned back to the party. "You helped our Nanaki? Please, come in."

Aerith cocked her head in a manner similar to how Cloud had earlier. "Who's Nanaki?"

"Nanaki is Nanaki. That's his name."

Zack wrapped his arm around Aerith's waist. "Red's real name seems to be Nanaki."

"Oh." She looked around as the rest of their friends scattered around the large plateau that made up the main square. "I wonder why he never told us."

Zack shrugged. "We'll probably have to ask him."

"True. I think he went that way. I wonder what's up there?"

Zack looked up the stone steps that led to a landing and another set of steps. The path went into the cliff at that point. Further up another set of stairs zig-zagged up to what seemed to be a mesa top. He grinned. "Barret's worst nightmare. Come on, I'll tell you the whole story while we walk."

*7*7*

"Aw! This looks like another boring town!" Yuffie ran ahead, waving. "I'm going to check things out! Maybe they at least have some decent materia!"

Cloud turned to Cait. "Can you follow her and make sure she doesn't get into any trouble?"

"What, I'm babysittin' now? Oh, fine, fine." Cait relented as Cloud crossed his arms. "It might be entertainin' if nothin' else."

Cloud watched Cait, or, rather, Cait's moogle, hop off before turning to the others. "I'll look around for a mechanic, so I guess you can... do whatever you like."

"Fine by me," Barret said. "Don't much feel like walkin' back down those stairs anytime soon. If ya need me I'll be askin' around about that study of planet life stuff."

Cloud nodded once then looked at Tifa. Only for a moment, though, as he quickly looked at the red ground at his feet, then at the merchant stalls lining the cliff face, then at the ground again. "Um. So. Yeah." He turned and nearly ran for the opposite side of the village.

Tifa spent that entire time with her eyes locked on her boots.

Kunsel watched this lack of exchange and shook his head. Enough was most definitely enough. Tifa nearly jumped out of her skin when he grabbed her arm and started pulling her toward a door in the corner of the cliff.

"Kunsel? What are you doing?"

"We need to talk, and a bar seems like the best place."

"What?" Tifa tried to pull out of his grip, but he just held on tighter. By the time he plopped her down on a bench in the candle-lit bar, she resigned herself to at least listening to what he had to say.

She was a little surprised, though, when he put a goblet of an amber colored liquid in front of her. Alcoholic, from the smell.

"Cosmo Candle," Kunsel said. "It's one of the things this place is famous for, along with the actual candle outside. I thought we should try some as long as we're here."

"Oh. Okay." Tifa smiled warmly and picked up her goblet.

Kunsel took a swig before speaking again. "It might not be my place to say, we've barely known each other for two weeks, but I think there's something wrong."

"There's nothing wrong."

"Oh. So it's normal for you to fake a smile in front of everyone and act like you're handling raw mako every time you're near Cloud."

"I..."

Kunsel leaned forward, his arms crossed on the tabletop. "Look, I'm not asking you to open up to me. I mean, that'd be great because I'm kind of the official busy-body of SOLDIER, but you don't have to. I do think you should talk to someone, though." He shrugged. "Maybe you could try Aerith. She seems to have a knack for making people feel better, and she's a girl, so you might feel more comfortable talking about some of the... relationship related stuff."

Tifa could feel her cheeks burning at that last bit, and hoped that Kunsel would attribute it to the alcohol. Doubtful, but she still hoped.

Of course, she thought with a sigh once Kunsel left, that was part of the problem. She hoped. When Cloud first left Nibelheim, she hoped he'd come back and be her hero. When Nibelheim burned she hoped everyone would survive. When she saw Cloud again, and knew it was him, she hoped he would still be the same boy she thought she knew. When she found out that ShinRa was going to drop the plate she hoped they'd be in time to stop it...

Why? Why did she keep hoping? She drained her goblet and stared at the dancing flame of the candle in its copper dish. She stared until she could hear the screams of her neighbors trapped in their homes as fire engulfed everything she ever knew. Until she could see the explosions as Sector 7 fell on the new neighbors and friends she'd made. The lives she put in danger.

How could someone like her be allowed to hope?

"Tifa?"

She looked up to see Cloud standing over her. The light from the candles and the one electric bulb reflected golden off his hair and shoulder guards. She pasted on a smile. "What is it?"

"I was just... You're crying."

Tifa brought her hands up to her face. Her cheeks were soaked. She wiped the water away as she tried to laugh. "I guess it must be the light in here, and the drink. Cosmo Candle is a little stronger than I'm used to."

Cloud gently cupped her elbow in his hand and helped her up. "Let's go outside. Zack said there's something we should all see, but that can wait until you're feeling better."

"I'm fine." Tifa shook him off and walked a couple steps to prove her point. "If Zack says it's important, then we should go."

For a moment, Cloud just looked a Tifa, studying her face. Finally, he sighed and nodded. "Come."

* * *

_This whole thing after Gongaga has been extremely difficult to write. I'm not sure why. Maybe because it's the build up to Nibelheim. Or maybe it's the shear number of characters I'm trying to juggle catching up with me. Or it could be something else entirely. Whatever the reason, I just hope that what comes out is still readable._


	33. Something In The Air

**Chapter Thirty-Two - Something In the Air**

Reeve scrubbed his face with his palms. He'd had a long day, far too much coffee, no lunch, and now this... revelation.

All this time, AVALANCHE had been right. ShinRa really was killing the planet. Slowly but surely killing it. And he was helping.

Well, he could always quit. He had enough saved to last a little while until he found another job somewhere. Maybe he could move back to his hometown. His mother would like that, he got the impression that she'd never been entirely satisfied with life in Midgar. She'd be happy to live in the country again.

No. No, that wouldn't work. For many reasons. He grimaced at the cooling cup of coffee on his desk and got up to get a glass of water. His mother would ask why they were moving so suddenly and, being an obedient son of a strong-willed woman, Reeve would tell her the truth. He didn't want to tell her the truth. Not because she'd be frightened or feel burdened, but because she'd scold him for running away.

Which was exactly what he was doing, or thinking about doing. He wasn't a hero. He couldn't go gallivanting off to save the world without a care for the consequences.

He sighed and looked through the files on his desk for perhaps the hundredth time that day. No, he couldn't ignore the consequences, not when they were staring him in the face.

Damage reports from Sectors 1 and 8 following terrorist attack on Sector 1 Reactor. Hospital over-flow alerts and requests for aid stations. Predicted locations for brown outs as the electrical grid was rerouted. Projected time for repairs on Sector 1 Reactor.

The same thing for Sectors 4 and 5, which in a way was worse because they knew about that one beforehand and could have done something. Or, rather, President Shinra knew about it. Heidegger and Scarlet probably did, as well. Reeve didn't learn about the bombing until he saw the plume of smoke from his office window.

And then the very worst. Damage reports from Sector 7. Reported death toll. Citizen complaints about the railway shut down.

Lives reduced to numbers. Citizens who didn't care that people died, just that they personally were inconvenienced. A company that willingly killed hundreds to (unsuccessfully) rid itself of seven. Reeve felt, at times, like he let this happen. He'd known for years that ShinRa was ruthless and even cruel. But what could he do? If he quit, who would replace him? Someone like Heidegger or Scarlet, who probably wouldn't even look at the annual road maintenance report?

He desperately needed a shower, and a clean set of clothes, and a full night's sleep. That wasn't going to happen. Instead, he called his secretary that she could leave for the evening and that he was going to stay in the office for a while. 'A while' being the entire night. For the past week he'd all but lived in his office, using the couch as a bed. He hadn't looked at a mirror in that time, but he wouldn't be surprised if he had a few more wrinkles and maybe some grey streaks through his black hair. Days like this, he felt far older than thirty-five.

A symptom of his own cowardice, he told himself. As much as he might like to think he stayed because he cared, in truth, he was afraid to do anything other than what he was told.

*7*7*

"I can't believe Red, sorry, Nanaki's only 15 or 16," Zack said. He and Aerith had decided to wait for everyone in the main room of Bugenhagen's house. At the moment, the old, ancient, possibly insane, man was showing off his planetarium to Cloud, Tifa, Kunsel, and Cait. Normally, only three people besides Bugenhagen would fit, but Cait was small enough to be held like a doll. Something he didn't seem to mind when the person doing the holding was Tifa.

Aerith hummed before answering. "I was more surprised to find that Nanaki's 'grandfather' was human."

"More like completely shocked!" Zack laughed. "Of course, he's adopted, it couldn't be anything else."

"Of course." She nudged him slightly in the ribs. "Says the man who gaped like a fish when introduced."

"Hey! Cut it out!"

They teased and laughed for a little longer until Aerith reminded Zack that Yuffie was asleep on the cushions by the ladder to the second floor. For a moment they didn't say anything.

"So, are you going to talk to the elders about the Ancients?"

Aerith nodded. "A little later, maybe. Right now I don't want to deal with it."

Zack leaned forward, trying to see more than just the side of Aerith's face. "What's to deal with? I mean, I can't imagine there'd be anything really bad about learning more about who you are."

"Of course not!" Aerith smiled up at him and hugged his arm. "I just meant that I'd rather spend time with you than with some old men."

"Well, I'm definitely better looking." Zack pulled her into a full embrace.

"And Barret's talking to them right now, anyway. I think the show really affected him."

"Hmm. He could be a while." He rested his chin on her head. "Hey, how long was that show, anyway?"

Aerith giggled as she tried, somewhat half-heartedly, to push away from him. "Now don't go getting any ideas. We aren't exactly alone."

"What ideas? I just asked a question." Zack smiled.

"Maybe I'll tell you later."

*7*7*

"So let me get this straight," Kunsel said after he, Cloud, Tifa, and Cait finished with their turn in the planetarium. "When people die, their souls enter the Lifestream. The Lifestream is spirit energy which is needed to keep everything alive. Mako is condensed spirit energy that is used so it doesn't return to the planet."

"Ho ho ho." Bugenhagen floated by on his green... ball. Kunsel could only guess that there had to be a chair or something under all those robes Bugenhagen wore, though how the thing floated like that was beyond him. "Yes, that is exactly correct. As the spirit energy of the planet diminishes, so does life on the planet. This is why there are wastelands around mako reactors."

"Except Gongaga," Zack said from where he sat with Aerith. "There's only a small area right around the reactor where nothing will grow, the rest is thick jungle and that reactor's been there for years."

"Ho ho ho. This is true. The Lifestream is also very active around Nibelheim and that reactor is the oldest one on the planet. But even there the land is not as healthy as it once was. Plants will not grow on the mountain, correct?"

Cloud started to nod, then looked to Tifa for confirmation.

Tifa nodded as she set Cait back on his moogle. "There isn't any soil, either, so I guess I never really thought about the lack of plants."

"Yes, and the one in Gongaga probably hasn't been around long enough to do that kind of damage." Kunsel stepped in before the conversation could get more off track. "That's not what I was going to ask about. There are two things I want to know. First off, what about materia? Most of it is manufactured but sometimes it happens naturally. Does that hurt the planet at all?"

Bugenhagen, despite looking absolutely ancient, managed to bounce on his floating ball. "Ho ho ho! That is a good question! I cannot say. Very useful powers, but what effect do they have? Materia are formed from memories and connect the user to the planet. As materia is used it grows and may even give birth to a new materia. Whether this takes spirit energy from the planet or generates it as if a living thing I do not know. Ho ho hooooo. Perhaps it is something we cannot know."

Everyone shifted somewhat uneasily at this. Cait looked at the glowing slots in his megaphone.

Truthfully, not everyone was uneasy. Yuffie was still asleep.

Kunsel hesitated a moment before speaking again. "Okay. So, the other thing I wanted to know was, what about us?" He gestured between himself, Zack, and Cloud. "We've been infused with mako, Zack and Cloud more so than me. So, how does...?" Kunsel stopped and cleared his throat. "What exactly does getting dunked in concentrated souls do to a person?"

Zack sat straight up. Tifa froze as she felt Cloud stiffen next to her. Cait tilted his head in a peculiarly cat-like way. Aerith clasped her hands together under the table as she tried to watch everyone at once. Yuffie groaned as she curled up tighter and drooled.

The moment of silence ended with Bugenhagen's laugh. "Ho ho hooo! You are talking about the process that makes SOLDIERs. Don't you know? I would think that having gone through the process you would be best suited to answer that question yourself."

"Well, I thought so, but..." Kunsel trailed off, noticing everyone else's reactions. "Hey, I just thought I'd ask. If you don't know, that's fine."

"I don't. That study is relatively new and I'm afraid I never took the time to keep up with such matters. Ho ho ho. That does not mean you should stop looking. If you look for an answer you will find it. It may even be closer than you think."

After that they all left Bugenhagen's house, Yuffie by way of being slung like a sack of potatoes over Kunsel's shoulder. She had been semi-awake just long enough to proclaim Cosmo Canyon 'boring' before falling back asleep. Even the undignified method of carrying her didn't rouse her, which worried more than one member of the party until Aerith pointed out how tired she probably was from spending most of yesterday throwing up.

As they descended from the mesa-top where Bugenhagen lived, each went their separate ways. Cloud volunteered to check on the mechanic to see when the car might be ready. Aerith went alone to find the elders, despite Zack insisting that he wanted to come with. Tifa didn't say where she was going, just that she needed some fresh air. Cait... Kunsel had no idea where Cait disappeared to or even when he left.

All this left Kunsel alone except for an unconscious teenage girl who'd probably be homicidally cranky if he tried to wake her again. He figured he really should check on their supplies, too.

Wandering about, wondering what to do, eventually led him to the bar. Well, the place probably had a restroom he could dump her in, if nothing else. There was an inn upstairs, but he did not feel like spending that kind of money just so Yuffie could take a nap in comfort.

Kunsel did not find a restroom through the back door of the bar. Instead, up a short flight of stairs and down a hallway carved into the sandstone, he found a room filled with tattered banners and old pillows. The pillows seemed to be arranged like a nest. In the center lay Nanaki.

"Red? Oh, sorry, it's Nanaki now, isn't it."

Nanaki looked up. "Kunsel, did you see Grandfather's machine? It's quite amazing."

"Yeah, it really is something." Kunsel pointed to Yuffie. "She passed, though. Seems she's under the impression that everything here is boring."

Nanaki huffed. "Then why did you bring her to my room?"

"I didn't know it was your room. I'm just looking for a place to dump her while I pick up some supplies."

"As long as she stays asleep I don't mind, but the moment she wakes up I'll chase her out."

Kunsel chuckled. "Count your materia afterward. And anything else shiny and possibly valuable while you're at it."

Nanaki nodded and put his head back down between his paws. Kunsel took this as a dismissal, so he waved once and shut the door behind him.

*7*7*

"This fire is called 'Cosmo Candle.' It's burned for generations."

"Huh, really?" Zack stopped doing squats to look down at the little boy.

The kid nodded, seemingly quite proud to be the one imparting knowledge to another. "It's a holy flame that protects this canyon. I heard it only went out once, long ago." He turned to look at the bonfire crackling on the raised platform that served as the village center. "The elders said something horrifying occurred, but I really don't know much about it."

"That so. Hey, kid, do you know where the rest of my friends are?"

"No, but if you stay here you're sure to find them. Everyone meets at Cosmo Candle."

"Thanks." Zack watched the kid run off, no more reassured than he had been before. He hoped the buggy would get fixed soon so they could leave. The place made him feel uneasy. Maybe it was that strange howl he'd heard right after Bugenhagen's presentation. Bugenhagen said it was the planet in pain, but weren't the Ancients supposed to be the only ones who could hear the planet?

Was that the sort of thing Aerith heard all the time?

Zack did not like the direction his thoughts were going, so he was more than happy to have someone else to talk to. Even if that other person was Barret.

"Hey! Learn anything interesting?"

Barret grumbled something that probably didn't involved actual words and sat down by the fire.

"Nice to see you, too." Zack shook his head and continued with his squats.

Soon the other party members arrived one by one. No one looked happy, which was especially apparent with Aerith. The last to show was Cloud. He muttered that the mechanic said a part needed to be replaced and that it'd be done later in the evening. After shuffling around the circle a bit, he finally sat down between Tifa and Nanaki.

Aerith and Zack sat together. Aerith with her legs tucked under her and hands folded in her lap. Zack with his legs crossed and for once uncertain what to say.

"I'm alone."

"Say what?" Zack placed a hand on her shoulder. "Aerith, what are you talking about? I'm here, and so is everyone else."

Aerith leaned closer to him. Her soft hair brushed his bicep and tickled the side of his chest. "I know. But... I'm the only Cetra. It's a little lonely, after what I learned."

"What did you learn?" Uncharacteristically, Zack kept his voice low and soft. His hand slid down from her shoulder to her arm as he hugged her closer.

"Things about the Promised Land and the Cetra. Some of it is rather confusing, but I'll probably understand it better when I have time to think clearly."

"Well, if Cloud's right, we'll probably be staying here until morning. I don't know if it'll give you the time you need to think, but at least you'll have a bed to sleep in."

"Hmm. That does sound nice."

Across from them, Cloud and Tifa sat not looking directly at each other.

"Cloud..."

"Hm?"

"Bonfires are funny, aren't they? They make you remember all sorts of things."

Cloud grunted and dropped his eyes to his boots. "Yeah."

_You should talk to someone._

"Cloud, have you..."

He looked up slightly, but she shook her head.

"Never mind. It's nothing."

"What?"

Tifa curled up tighter, her eyes refusing to meet Cloud's. "It's not important."

She was spared the need to answer further by Barret. "Cosmo Canyon... This's where AVALANCHE was born..."

Zack's head shot up. Barret mentioning the old AVALANCHE made him uneasy. More uneasy. He really wished that buggy would hurry up and get fixed.

"I promised my guys someday... when we saved the planet from ShinRa, that we'd all go to Cosmo Canyon and celebrate..." Barret hung his head. "Biggs... Wedge... Jessie... Now they're all gone... died for the planet." His frown deepened. "...Really? To save the planet? We all... we all hate ShinRa... Do I even got to go on? Will they... will they ever forgive me?"

He probably wasn't expecting an answer, because he kept on talking. "Right now, I really don't know. But I know one thing. If there's anything I can do, to save the planet... or the people livin' on it... Then I'm gonna do it! I don't care if it's for justice or revenge, or whatever. I don't care... let 'em decide for 'emselves."

With a yell, Barret jumped up. "I'm gonna do it! Again... Again... AVALANCHE's born again!"

"As rousing speeches go, that one could use some work." Kunsel shrugged off the glare he got for that comment. "Hey, just saying you might want to reconsider the name of your group. AVALANCHE did kill a lot of innocent people, after all."

Barret opened his mouth and closed it again without speaking. He sat down with his head bowed until he turned to Cait. "What're you lookin' at?"

Cait cocked his head to the side. "Who? Me? Nothin' at all."

After that, the only sounds were the crackling of the flames and Yuffie muttering about how bored she was.

That is, until Nanaki, sitting to Cloud's right, spoke. "Long ago, when I was still very small, we were all around this flame..." He shook his head as if realizing that he'd spoken his thoughts without intending to. "No, never mind..."

Cloud looked at him. "What happened?"

Nanaki set his head between his paws, his ears drooped. "It's about my parents." He let out a sigh. "When I talk about my mother, I am full of pride and joy... And that's fine. But when I remember my father, my heart is full of anger..."

Cloud nodded once, returning his gaze to his boots. He felt like he understood the feeling, if just a little. A thought of saying something comforting evaporated from his mind as Bugenhagen floated up.

"You really can't forgive your father...?"

Nanaki's shoulders stiffened. "Of course. He... left mother for dead." The fur along his back rose. "When the Gi tribe attacked, he ran off by himself, leaving mother and the people of the Canyon!"

Cloud resisted the urge to back away. He tried and failed to remember seeing Nanaki angry outside of battle. To his surprise, Bugenhagen didn't seem to react at all to this display.

No, he did react, but only by looking sad. And, Cloud realized, he hadn't laughed the entire time.

"...Come, Nanaki. There's something you should see."

Nanaki looked up, his fur slowly settling back into place.

"The place may be dangerous," Bugenhagen said as he floated back toward the stairs to his observatory. "You should pick a couple friends to come with you."

Nanaki looked around at the other members of the traveling party, his ears swiveling in all directions. The flaming tip of his tail flicked about. For an awkward moment Cloud just watched. Then he cleared his throat.

"I'll go with you. If you don't mind."

Nanaki's ears perked up though his expression didn't change otherwise. "I would like that."

"I'll go too!" Everyone looked at Yuffie as she jumped up. "What? I can't offer to be there for a friend? Besides, if the place is dangerous, there might be materia!" She ignored the collective groan, and the fact that Nanaki hadn't accepted her offer, as she hopped off the platform. "Come on! Let's go already!"

Cloud and Nanaki followed. As they passed Kunsel, Cloud handed over the egg he'd been holding all day. "Is it okay if I stop training for a bit?"

"Yeah, sure. If there's going to be any fighting, it wouldn't make sense to have this along."

Cloud nodded once and left with Nanaki. Kunsel heard him offer to restrain Yuffie before they disappeared from view.

"Hey, Kunsel," Zack said, "how's his training going?"

Kunsel shrugged. "All right, I guess, all things considered. Ah, anyway, we should see about getting a place to sleep for the night. It's still early, but the way things are we'll probably end up staying the night."

* * *

_And, let's see, what to say about this chapter? It was really hard to write. Hoo boy. The closer this bunch gets to Nibelheim the harder it is for my to write the story. I just hope it gets easier after that. As for the lightshow in Bugenhagen's planetarium, I skipped it because I figure most everyone has seen it and I didn't think I could do that cut-scene justice. Besides, Bugenhagen gets wordy. Really, really wordy._


	34. Sending the Hard Way

*Insert usual disclaimer here. And sorry to anyone who's tried to PM me for however long. I just discovered that, somehow, private messaging was disabled. No idea how that happened or when. But I re-enabled it.*

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Three - Sending the Hard Way**

Cloud, Nanaki, and Yuffie found Bugenhagen floating by a large metal door set in the back of one of the tunnel junctions within the cliff.

"Ho ho hoooo. Are we all set?"

"Yeah!" Yuffie bounced up and down. "Let's go!"

Bugenhagen laughed again as he opened a panel near the door. Old gears and rough metal sliding against rock could be heard from inside the walls as the door groaned open. Once it finished, Bugenhagen waved to the opening. "All right. Come in, come in."

"Hey? Aren't you going with us, Grandpa?" Nanaki tipped his head up.

"What are you, crazy? It's dangerous in there, I told you that!" Bugenhagen looked at Nanaki over his dark spectacles. "You want an old man like me to go first? I'll be right behind you."

Cloud and Nanaki both looked like they'd been scolded as they entered the passage way. Yuffie followed, apparently unaffected.

The passage soon turned into a deep hole with a series of worn ladders and tattered ropes as the only way down. The only way down for Yuffie, who complained loudly that it wasn't fair that Bugenhagen could fly and Cloud and Nanaki could jump without breaking bones. She didn't let up even when Cloud reminded her that he'd offered to carry her.

Finally, they reached the bottom. Cloud stepped toward the opening to the next cave when Bugenhagen raised a hand.

"Ho ho hoooo. Everyone here's a ghost of the Gi tribe. Killed in a certain battle."

Nanaki looked up at his adopted grandfather. "A certain battle?"

Bugenhagen's face turned serious as he nodded. "The vengeful spirits of the Gi didn't disappear, and couldn't return to the Lifestream..." A smile far too inappropriate to his previous words sprang up on his face. "We still have far to go. Ho ho hoooo."

"Crazy old coot," Yuffie muttered as they followed him into the next chamber.

Cloud looked all around. The cave was huge and honeycombed with tunnels and complex stone structures.

Bugenhagen floated to one side. "As you can see, this cave leads to the back of Cosmo Canyon. It was unfortunate that the Gi were larger than us. If they attacked though here, we wouldn't have stood a chance."

Cloud and Nanaki looked at each other. Yuffie opened her mouth to say something, but Bugenhagen cut her off with a shove. "Let's move on."

Cloud gulped and continued walking. Vengeful spirits? How were they supposed to fight against vengeful spirits?

*7*7*

"Cozy," Zack said as he looked around the room. Unlike most of the inns they'd managed to find, the rooms here only had two beds each, along with a wooden frame sofa that could, with the risk of cramps in the morning, be used as a third bed. The only other furnishings were three lamps, two small end tables, a mini-fridge, and a painting of the ocean. There were no windows. In fact, the whole room looked like the inside of a ball someone had sat on. "For people who are so concerned about the planet, they sure use a lot of electricity."

"None of the power here is from mako." Kunsel started checking the room, as spare as it was. A habit he started in Kalm when Cloud found an ether in a wardrobe. "They use wind turbines, coal, and thermal vents to generate electricity. None of them are as reliable as mako, but since each system backs the others up they can keep everything running almost as smoothly."

Zack nodded and collapsed on one of the beds with a purposefully loud exhale. "These people must hate windows, maybe that's it."

"Huh?"

"Ever since we've got here, everyone's acted depressed." Zack folded his hands behind his head as he stared at the curved ceiling. "Even Aerith's acting kinda off. I want to talk to her about it, but she doesn't seem to want to."

"I'm not..." Kunsel fell silent for a moment then sat at the edge of the bed Zack claimed. "Yeah, I guess so. It's not the lack of windows, I think. There's something about the place that makes a person think." He snorted. "Maybe that's why Yuffie's been so crabby. She's not used to thinking."

"She's not so bad. You should've seen her seven years ago."

"Yeah. So she's the kid who tried to fight you at Fort Tamblin, huh?"

Zack chuckled. "Yeah. At least now she actually knows how to fight. Hey." He sat up. "Where did that question come from? The one you asked Bugenhagen about SOLDIER."

"It's just something that's been on my mind." Kunsel leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "We've got both Jenova cells and mako in us, haven't you ever wondered what part of our abilities comes from mako and what part comes from Jenova?"

_Does it matter?_ Zack almost said that, but stopped just as his mouth opened.

_"Sometimes I feel like my mind is mired in fog."_

_"My cells can absorb genetic traits and pass them along to others."_

_"A two way conduit... Jenova's power has passed on to you completely."_

"Maybe... it's better if we don't know."

Kunsel frowned. "If you know something, I want to hear it."

"Jenova's power is copying." Zack stood and started shifting on the balls of his feet.

"Copy? Genesis?"

"Yeah. Him and Angeal. Apparently Sephiroth couldn't copy his traits onto others, which doesn't exactly make sense."

"There's probably something we're missing. You got this from Hollander, right?"

Zack nodded. "Not that he'll be much help now, since he's dead."

"Really? Since when?"

"A few months ago. He and Genesis were chasing us since we'd been injected with Sephiroth's cells. They thought that would cure Genesis's degradation."

"Hmm." Kunsel thought for a moment then shrugged. "Well, it's not really important right now, I guess. Though I am definitely going to want to do some research once this crazy adventure is over."

Any further conversation was interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps out in the hall. They stopped in front of the door barely a moment before Barret stormed into the room.

"Either of ya seen that stuffed cat?"

"Not since we left the Candle," Zack said.

Kunsel shook his head. "Why, do you need him for something?"

"No. I jes' can't find 'im. Makes me kinda suspicious."

"He probably got kidnapped by some kids," Kunsel said. "We'll probably see him soon dressed up for a tea party or something."

Zack chuckled at the image. Barret didn't seem nearly as amused, since he left the room grumbling right after.

Oddly enough, as he had made the joke, Kunsel didn't seem all that amused, either. "I hate to admit it, but Barret has a point."

"About Cait? Come on, he's just paranoid."

"Maybe, but why is Cait traveling with us? He's a robot that tells fortunes. I doubt world travel is in his programming."

Zack frowned. "Yeah. Come to think of it, he corrected you when you called him a 'what,' as if he's a person."

Kunsel nodded. A moment passed before he flung himself on his back with his fists over his eyes. "GA! I hate not knowing things!"

"Welcome to humanity." Zack chuckled until the implications of that statement sank in. He shook his head. "We are still human, after all."

"Yeah. I sure hope so."

*7*7*

"HELP!"

Cloud spun around from the recently killed... thing with too many spines that looked like one of Hojo's less fortunate victims. Nanaki was still dealing with one to his left which meant...

"Yuffie!" Cloud looked over the edge of the path to the red liquid below. Roughly halfway down, Yuffie clung to a rocky outcrop.

"Hey! Normally I'd just climb back up, but this is the only rock that isn't slippery."

Cloud just stared at her. He couldn't reach her and, like she said, the rocks where too slippery to climb.

"You still in there? I'd like a rescue!"

There was another path of bedrock further down. If he jumped, maybe...

He had an image of him dropping Yuffie into whatever that liquid was, or just batting her hands away from the rock and watching her fall.

No. No, he wouldn't do that. "Hang on."

"Like I have a choice? HEY!" Yuffie screamed as she saw Cloud drop straight for her. Her scream got louder as he pushed them both away from the cliff face and down to an all too narrow ridge below.

"Yuffie?"

It took a moment for her to realize they were no longer moving. And that she had her arms and legs wrapped around Cloud's torso. She jumped off him a little too quickly as she tried to regain her sense of balance.

"Gods! Warn me next time, will ya?" She rocked back on her heels as she looked everywhere except Cloud. "So, how do we get back up?"

Cloud looked up to where Nanaki was most likely waiting for them. He might be able to jump that high, though he hadn't tried that yet. "Um..."

"Hey, look! Stairs!" Yuffie ran off before Cloud could get a full word out.

With a sigh, Cloud followed her, wondering, not for the first time, what Tifa was doing.

*7*7*

"It's a nice room, but I don't think I'd like to spend the entire day here." Aerith rocked between her toes and heels with her hands clasped behind her. "Hmm. I know!" She turned to Tifa, who was sitting on one of the two beds. "Let's go look at the shops! Since this place is so out of the way, there must be a lot of things that normally don't get to Midgar."

Tifa hugged her knees. "I... don't think I should."

"Oh come on! It's no fun to window shop alone! Please?" Aerith took Tifa's hands and stared at her, pleadingly.

Tifa was still trying to find some way to turn Aerith down when a knock at the door saved her.

"Zack! Where did you get a picnic basket?"

Zack swung the old-style wicker basket from his fingers. "I bought it. I figured since we're going to be here a while now might be a good time to take you on a date."

"That's sweet," Aerith said as she hugged him. "But where are we going to go?"

"That's a surprise." Zack grinned.

Aerith looked thoughtful for a moment, then turned to Tifa. "Will you be all right by yourself?"

"I'll be fine. I ran a bar in the slums, after all." Still, her smile was less than convincing.

Aerith hesitated for a moment, but finally left with Zack.

Tifa just sat. She didn't feel like doing anything or going anywhere. She just felt horrible. Envious. Guilty. Tired. Dirty. A shower would be wonderful, but there wasn't a private bathroom in this inn.

So she curled up on top of the covers and tried to go to sleep.

*7*7*

Red rocks, red earth, red everywhere with the occasional patch of orange. They had been walking a long time before finally reaching a wide plateau looking over the red dessert and, in the distance, green.

"Oh, Zack, it's beautiful!"

Zack wrapped an arm, the one not holding the basket, around Aerith's waist. "I thought you'd like it. One of the elders said it's called The Ancient Forest. I would have taken you there, but the elder said it's impossible to reach it."

"I don't know about impossible, but it would take days." Aerith laughed. "You might be able to make it, but I'd be nothing but sore feet and raw lungs after a hike like that."

Zack picked her up, holding her against his broad, hard chest. "You're assuming I'd let you walk the whole way."

"Zack! Put me down!" Something that would be hard to do, given how Aerith was hugging him around the neck.

"I dunno. Then I'd have to bend over."

Aerith cocked her head to one side. "For what?"

"This," Zack said, right before kissing her.

"Hmm. I see what you mean."

"Yeah. I mean, it's great that I can use you as a chin rest, but...mmmm?"

Further conversation had to be put on hold while Aerith returned his kiss.

* * *

_I refuse to describe Zack and Aerith's kiss for the simple reason that I have never been kissed. I have no idea what it would feel like and all I have to go on are descriptions in stories with varying levels of sap. (And why do most of them involve the couple having to come up for air? I asked Mom, and kissing does not involve holding your breath.) So, they kiss, smooch, lock lips, swap-spit, etc. Imagine it as you will._

_And, yes, there is a reason I haven't been kissed. I dun' wanna._


	35. Mood Dissonance

**Chapter Thirty-Four - Mood Dissonance**

"Sir?" The trooper stopped in the doorway, remembering to salute just in time. Working with the Turks was never a good sign. "The professor is here. Do you want him brought in now?"

"Yes." Tseng sat behind the one table in the room. Reno and Rude stood behind him, Reno tapping his rod and Rude at attention.

Moments later, two troopers arrived escorting Professor Hojo. As nervous as the troopers looked, Hojo looked just as annoyed.

"Hmph! Is this how ShinRa is treating it's executives now?"

"Have a seat, Professor."

Hojo glared at Tseng, but did as he was told. At a gesture from Tseng, the troopers left.

"Now, my understanding is that you aren't a ShinRa executive anymore." Tseng folded his hands on the table. "That you resigned."

"Mm? Oh, yes. So I did. What of it?"

"The timing was quite the coincidence. Right after the former president was killed."

"And I'm a suspect? I heard that Sephiroth killed the president." Hojo's shoulders began to vibrate. "Oh, but your Turks reported that Sephiroth was dead. It would look bad if you were proved wrong. Especially considering certain recent events."

All that stood between Hojo and manual strangulation were three acts of will. Just barely, in Reno's case.

"Hey, Tseng, do we have any orders about persuading him?"

Tseng raise a hand, blocking Reno's step forward. "We've reviewed the security footage, Professor, and searched the 67th floor labs."

"You searched my labs?" Hojo shot out of his seat as Reno and Rude drew their weapons.

"They aren't your labs, Professor." Tseng allowed himself what could almost be called a smirk. "You resigned."

Hojo adjusted his wire-frame glasses as he sank back into his seat. "Of course. So, what did you discover in your investigation?"

"Sephiroth did not kill the president." Tseng's face returned to his stone mask. "At least not directly. The trail starts in the containment unit where you stored Jenova's remains."

"Really? Now that's most intriguing. Most intriguing, indeed." Hojo's shoulders started vibrating again, this time accompanied by a high-pitched cackle.

Tseng tried to regain Hojo's attention. "Professor. Professor, why would Jenova take Sephiroth's form to kill the president?"

The cackles only grew in volume. "Is that what you want to know? A better question would be why Jenova chose that time to move. Yes. Yes. It does fit, doesn't it? The hypothesis is sound, only the details were wrong. Most intriguing. I will need to find the samples. There were two, I think, that were of particular interest. Yes. This could be my greatest discovery yet!"

Reno grimaced as Hojo's ranting and cackling continued. "We're wasting our time with this guy, Tseng. He's a total psycho."

"What would you know?" Disturbingly, Hojo snapped out of his convulsion as if a switch had been flipped. "You don't have the mental acuity to comprehend the magnitude of my work. Now, if that is everything, I must be leaving."

Tseng raised his hand again, stopping Hojo in the middle of standing. "You are under arrest, Professor. If you wish to continue your experiments, I suggest you cooperate."

"Cooperate? With you?"

"With ShinRa."

Slowly, a thin, terrifying smile crept across Hojo's face. "You are pursuing Sephiroth, correct? Then it would seem that our goals follow a similar path. Yes. Yes. I will cooperate. At least for now."

Tseng nodded, barely overcoming his body's urge to shiver. "Reno, call the guards back and have them escort Hojo back to his room."

"Finally."

*7*7*

"I don't get what the big deal is. There's no way anyone could move an army through these tunnels." Yuffie grimaced as something squelched under her sneakers. "Ew. Monster pie."

Nanaki looked back at Bugenhagen, hoping for an answer, but the old man only smiled as he floated after them. Instead, Cloud spoke up.

"They wouldn't need to send an army. Bugenhagen said they weren't expecting an attack from here, so most of the people in the cliff would be those who couldn't fight. The Gi could send a small force through, kill everyone, and take over the supply stores. They had numbers on their side, too, so splitting their forces might not have been a problem."

Yuffie kicked off the last of the mess on her shoes. "Yeah, but they didn't. So what's the point?"

"Grandpa?"

"Ho ho hooo! You will see soon enough."

Ahead of them, Cloud stopped. "You might want to back up a bit."

"What's wrong?" Nanaki padded around Cloud to get a look.

Just ahead the passage widened, but the way through was blocked by a huge...

"Is that a SPIDER WEB?" Yuffie waved her shuriken in front of her. "EwewEW!"

Nanaki sniffed the air. "A very big spider."

Yuffie tugged on Cloud's arm. "There's one other tunnel we haven't tried. Come on, let's go."

"It's just a spider."

"Exactly!"

Nanaki tilted his nose up slightly at Yuffie. "Are you afraid of spiders?"

"No!" Yuffie stomped her foot. "I just really, really don't like them!"

Cloud sighed. "We're not back tracking just because you don't like spiders, Yuffie."

"Oooooo! Fine! Be that way!"

A pause followed, as if Cloud was waiting for the okay from the rest of the party. Finally, he took his sword and brushed through the web.

For a moment it seemed like nothing happened. Bugenhagen stayed back in the tunnel while the others stepped through the web. Almost instantly, four spikes dropped from the ceiling. Nanaki barely had time to register the body at the source of the spikes as he jumped out of the way.

"Good news, I don't think it's a spider."

Yuffie glared at Nanaki before throwing her shuriken at the monster. "Not helping!"

They didn't have much time after that for conversation. The spikes, rather, the monster's legs, continued to strike at them. Nanaki bit one of the legs, but was thrown off against a wall.

Cloud spent most of his time parrying and acting as a shield for Yuffie and Nanaki.

Yuffie ran up one of the cave walls. As the wall started to curve inward she jumped, throwing her shuriken at what she hoped was the monster's head. At the apex of her jump she felt something strike her, sending her crashing to the ground.

"Yuffie!" Cloud saw her fall, though he didn't see anything hit her. He ran over, blocking one of the legs from impaling her. "Can you stand?"

She grunted as the feeling of something sitting on her faded. "No fair. That monster knows gravity spells. Hey, where's my weapon?" She looked around before groaning. The shuriken lay directly under the monster.

"Cloud!" Nanaki lept over the two humans, grabbing one of the legs in his jaws.

The monster tried to shake Nanaki off again, but he refused to budge. Cloud and Yuffie ran for her weapon.

Nanaki finally let go with a yelp when one of the other legs struck him in his right back leg. He started to turn to look when a flash of green and khaki flew past. A moment later the leg holding Nanaki fell away.

He took a glance over at Yuffie, who was waving at him from the remains of the web. Just as he tried to stand he felt an arm wrap around his middle. Even if he couldn't see, the smell would have told him it was Cloud.

"Is everyone all right?"

Nanaki nodded. Yuffie bounced.

"It'll take more than an overgrown bug to take down The Great Ninja Yuffie Kisaragi!"

"Good." Cloud looked down at Nanaki's wound. "Take care of that then rejoin the fight."

As Cloud ran back toward the monster, Nanaki focused on the restore materia he had equipped. He almost cast the spell when Yuffie screamed and tackled him.

Behind them the monster's remaining foreleg struck the wall. Nanaki slid out from under Yuffie, wincing as loose rocks dug into his wound.

He howled. The sound echoed off the walls as lights like falling stars appeared and exploded above the monster.

With a sickening crunch, the thing fell. A moment passes as everyone half expected it to get up again. Then Yuffie walked up and kicked it.

"That's for giving me nightmares as a kid!"

"Yuffie..." Cloud groaned.

Nanaki didn't comment at all, preferring to finish casting cura on himself first.

"Hmm." Bugenhagen floated into the chamber. "Where was I? Oh yes. This warrior went through the cave all alone. Fighting attackers one after another."

"Grandpa..." Nanaki gazed up at Bugenhagen. "That warrior..."

"Ho ho hoooo... We're almost there." Bugenhagen pointed to an opening in the far wall.

Yuffie strapped her shuriken to her back. "We better be. This place is getting seriously creepy."

*7*7*

Tifa didn't move when the door to her room opened. She curled up tighter when she heard Aerith hum happily.

"Aren't you cold?"

"Huh?" Tifa blinked up at Aerith.

"You're laying on top of your covers, silly. Between that and how light your clothes are, I'd think you'd be freezing."

Tifa turned her head deeper into her pillow. "I'm fine. I grew up in the mountains, so cold doesn't bother me so much."

Aerith didn't reply right away, so Tifa hoped they could spend what was left of the day in peace. She heard Aerith sit on the bed opposite her. Probably getting ready to sleep. Tifa almost sighed in relief.

"You're worried about Cloud, aren't you."

Tifa did sigh this time, but out of frustration. "Yes. He isn't back yet."

"That's not what I meant."

That brought Tifa's eyes up to look at Aerith. Her tone seemed unusually solumn for the usually playful flower girl. "What do you mean?"

Aerith looked at the ceiling. "Zack took me on a date today because he could tell something was bothering me. I still haven't talked to him about it, even though I know I should. But I'm scared to because then things might change." She smiled at Tifa, a small, sympathetic expression. "It's the same with you, isn't it?

No. Aerith practically embodied light and innocence. It wasn't possible for her to have the sort of problems Tifa had.

Was it?

"I... Have you ever killed someone before?"

"Hmm." Aerith looked down at her hands. "Well, there was the man I kicked down the stairs at Don Corneo's. He's probably got a concussion at the very least."

Tifa rolled over so she was facing away from Aerith. "I killed everyone in Sector 7."

"Really?" Aerith's tone would have been more appropriate if she were replying to a statement like 'I had pizza for breakfast.' "I thought ShinRa did that."

"Yes. But only because AVALANCHE, because I was there."

"If you weren't there, where would you be?"

Tifa didn't answer.

"I think I know where I'd be, and it's not a nice place. Maybe you should ask Cloud where he thinks you should be."

Tifa looked up at that statement, but Aerith was already buried deep in her covers.

* * *

_Ah. What to say? Still kinda struggling, though breaking up the action with little fragments of what everyone else was doing helped a bit with this and the chapter before. And writing that scene with Hojo was fun in a demented sort of way. I'm actually a little scared how easy it was writing his dialog._

_Tifa, Tifa, Tifa. What am I to do with you? Sometimes I want to hug these characters and other times I want to hit them upside the head with a 2x4. Though, in Cloud's case, I think it'd have to be a sledgehammer, what with that thick skull of his._


	36. Dealing With Lose

**Chapter Thirty-Five - Dealing With Loss**

Cloud stepped through into the new chamber first, covering his nose. The place smelled like rotting eggs. It didn't look much better. Thin filaments hung from the ceiling and clung to the walls. Phosphorescent moss near the entrance left Cloud in a pool of green light.

Seeing this, Cloud jumped further into the cave. There, the dim red glow of the caves took over and he saw the shape of the wall ahead of him.

A face. A huge, grimacing face with pointed teeth and hair formed from the filaments that clung to the walls.

That didn't frighten Cloud nearly as much as the gasp Bugenhagen made when he entered the room. "What is this...?"

Nanaki's ears flattened against his neck. "Grandpa, is he...!"

Bugenhagen shook his head, gasping for air. "After death... The ghosts of the Gi... Like stagnant air... This... can't be!"

The sound of shifting rock snapped Cloud's attention away from the old man. The face moved. It laughed. It's eyes glowed as something emerged into the chamber.

"RUN!" Cloud needn't have bothered, Bugenhagen was already floating as fast as he could back to the chamber's entrance.

The thing that appeared towered over them. It was shaped like a human, only enormous, and without legs. It wore an elaborate feathered headdress that flowed into the tattered cloak hanging around it's shoulders. Blue skin drawn tight across its ribcage ended with the ribs, exposing a dangling spine. In one of its massive arms it held a red ceremonial spear. To either side of this specter floating soul fires grew.

Cloud took a step back. "Yuffie! Give me any materia you don't have equipped!"

"You guys didn't give me any..."

"Just do it!"

Yuffie managed a scowl. "Fine. Here."

Without looking, Cloud caught the small materia she threw him. The Shiva summon. Not what he'd prefer, but it'd do. He pressed it into the bangle on his left wrist, trying to ignore the unintelligible whispers that came with it.

Nanaki growled. This thing once tried to destroy his home. He leaped into an attack.

The specter blocked with its spear. Nanaki clawed at the strangely solid surface but soon fell. Above him, Yuffie's shuriken spun through the headdress, taking a few feathers with it.

Cloud ran in for his own attack but was stopped dead when Yuffie screamed. Eyes wide, he saw her encased in a pillar of fire.

"That! HURT!" Ignoring the blisters and blackened skin, Yuffie charged.

Nanaki ran up the specter's back. As he reached the shoulders he jumped, turning to swipe his claws across its face.

Below, Cloud dodged an attack from the specter's spear. Rolling to his feet he suddenly pitched forward. He looked up and saw a trail of red mist feed into the specter.

And he heard Yuffie scream again.

Burning. Everything was burning. Fire and smoke and screams and he couldn't stop it. He couldn't stop it.

Nanaki pulled Yuffie away as the soul fire left her body. "Hold still." Cura took care of the worst of her injuries, leaving only some scratches and spots that could have been sunburns.

Yuffie jumped up. "Thanks, Red! Hey, what's Cloud doing just-Cloud! Move!"

While Yuffie continued to scream for Cloud's attention, Nanaki ran to intercept the attack.

He was too far away.

Cloud looked up, as if seeing the monster for the first time.

The specter's lance dropped toward Cloud.

The materia in Cloud's bangle glowed as a summon circle expanded around him.

Freezing light filled the space between Cloud and the specter as a tall woman materialized. She wore little besides a pinkish-purple wrap around her hips and breasts, revealing most of her icy blue skin.

The specter's lance passed her as she raised her hand, gathering power.

Nanaki stumbled back.

Shiva, the ice summon, released shards of ice glittering like diamonds through her enemy.

"CLOUD!" Yuffie ran forward as the summon vanished.

Cloud fell on his face, blood pouring out of his left leg.

"Look out!"

Nanaki threw himself at the specter, catching one of the lower ribs in his jaws.

Yuffie jumped away from an attack.

One of the soul fires entered Nanaki's body. He did his best to ignore the burning pain. He refused to run. He would not be a coward.

Yuffie threw her shuriken, ripping the specter's neck. Ghosts should stay dead!

Cloud struggled to his knees. His friends were fighting, and he couldn't do anything.

Again.

Nanaki saw Yuffie fall. He wanted to go help her, but the strangely solid ghost before him continued it's attack. He wanted it gone. He could smell the life of his friends draining away with their blood.

Yuffie lay still. Too still. Cloud couldn't even tell if she was breathing. He dragged himself over to her, cursing himself the entire way.

He shouldn't have let her come.

He should have protected her.

He should have done something different.

Finally, he knelt by her side and could see the tiny movement of her chest as she breathed. Breathing a sigh of relief, he looked up at where Nanaki was still fighting. There was no way of telling if they were winning or not. Cloud had a bad feeling that it was not.

There was no way he was going to let Yuffie die in a place like this. He felt around in his pants pockets. Back just before Corel there'd been a nest full of phoenix down. If he was smart, he still had some of them.

His fingers curled around a soft bundle. The down was blood stained and matted from sitting in his pocket for days, but hopefully it would still work.

The feather drifted over the young ninja's tiny chest. For a moment nothing happened and Cloud came close to panicking. Was he doing it wrong? He'd never actually used phoenix down before. Maybe he was supposed to chant or something.

Before he could do something truly embarrassing, Yuffie coughed.

"Ugh. Now I know what sweet potatoes feel like."

"Is everyone all right?" Nanaki padded over to them, the last remains of the Gi fading into pyreflies behind him.

Cloud nodded. "Yuffie could use some healing, though."

Nanaki glanced down at the growing pool of blood at Cloud's feet, but didn't comment on it. "I'm afraid I can't cast any more spells right now."

"That's fine. I can do it."

Nanaki raised his paw so Cloud could remove the materia from his bangle. "You should take the all materia, as well. Yuffie isn't the only one injured."

Assuming Nanaki was referring to himself, Cloud agree. As the spell dimmed, Bugenhagen floated back into the chamber.

"It seems we owe our survival to you, Cloud. Nanaki, you have grown strong too."

"Oh yeah?"

Bugenhagen nodded at Nanaki's question. "Now I know that it wasn't a mistake bringing you here. Come, I have something I want to show you. Right over here."

Nanaki looked up and saw that where the stone face had been was now a short tunnel. The scent of the air told him that this was the way outside.

Cloud and Yuffie followed silently behind. Soon, they reached a rockfall just beyond the cave exit. The area was dark as night had fallen while they were in the caves. Looking up, Nanaki and Cloud saw what seemed to be a statue of a creature like Nanaki with spears protruding from its body.

Nanaki jumped up the pile of rocks. Even at the top he was far from the cliff edge where the statue stood. "This is..."

"...The warrior who fought against the Gi," Bugenhagen said. "He kept them from taking even one step into Cosmo Canyon." He floated to the base of the rocks. "But he was never able to return to town... Look, Nanaki. Look at your father, at the warrior, Seto."

Cloud's eyes widened at hearing this. He looked again, but it still looked like a statue. It was possible, but...

Nanaki seemed to be thinking along similar lines. "That... that is Seto? Did mother know?"

Bugenhagen laughed, though quieter than usual. "She knew. The two of them made me promise to keep

this cave shut. They asked me to seal it myself and not to tell a soul. They said we should forget about this cave."

Nanaki bowed his head, his ears drooping.

Bugenhagen turned to Cloud. "Cloud, Yuffie. Would you mind leaving the two of us alone?"

Yuffie seemed about to protest, but Cloud steered her away before she could do more than squeak.

Alone, Bugenhagen returned to the rock pile. "Nanaki, I want you to continue your journey with Cloud and the others."

"Grandpa!"

"Listen, Nanaki." Somehow, Bugenhagen seemed to grow restless as he bobbed back and forth. "These people say they are trying to save the planet. Honestly, I don't think it can be done. For even if they stop every reactor on the planet, it's only going to postpone the inevitable. Even if they stop Sephiroth, everything will perish." At this he stopped and looked up at Nanaki. "But, Nanaki, I've been thinking lately. I've been thinking if there was anything WE could do. As a part of the planet, something to help a planet already in misery... No matter what happens, isn't it important to try? Am I just wishing against fate?" He shook his head. "I am too old to do anything about it... This year, I'll be 130. Ho Ho Hoooo. That is why, Nanaki, you must go with them! For my sake."

Nanaki didn't like the way that last statement sounded. "Grandpa..."

"I wanted to show you your real father before you left," Bugenhagen started to float back toward the cave. "I'm so glad that you came back while I was still alive to show you."

Nanaki shook his head hard enough to jangle the beads in his mane. "Grandpa... don't talk like that. I don't want to think of life... without you..."

Bugenhagen laughed. "Well, I've had a long life."

"Grandpa! You must live!" Nanaki stood up, his fur raised. "I'll see to it. I'll see to what's happening to the planet. And I'll come back to tell you."

Bugenhagen turned back to look at Nanaki, actually looking a bit sad. "Nanaki..."

Nanaki barked. "I am Nanaki of Cosmo Canyon! The son of the warrior, Seto! I'll come back a warrior true to that noble name! So please, Grandpa..." He stopped there. Looking up, he saw something fall that sparkled in the moonlight.

Bugenhagen saw it, too. Both looked amazed as the object was followed by what looked like a tear. Nanaki leaped to where the object landed, turned his face to the sky, and howled.

*7*7*

_Hey. Is this all right? The way things are?_

_**Who are you?**_

_You're drifting. Everyone else has their reason to be here. What about you?_

_**What do you mean?**_

_Why are you here?_

*7*7*

"Hey! Get up, everybody! Let's mosey! Come on!"

Curling up tighter on the sofa, Yuffie tried her best to stuff a pillow into her ear. An attempt soon thwarted when Tifa snatched it away.

"Zack's right. We should get moving."

Yuffie cursed in Wutanese as she unfolded. "What kind of idiot is that energetic so early in the morning?"

"One who got a full night's sleep." Aerith laughed at the way Yuffie's hair stuck up. "You look like Cloud!"

"Shut up!" Yuffie's face turned red as Aerith laughed harder. "I got all sweaty and icky from fighting yesterday so I took a shower and my hair dried like this!"

Tifa shook her head as she started to smile. For a moment everything seemed so carefree. Yet she knew that wasn't the case. They still had to save the planet, and they were losing one of their companions. Though she should feel happy for Nanaki, since he got to come home. That he had a home to come to.

Suddenly, Zack stuck his head through the doorway. "What is taking you girls so lo-hey!" The last bit said from the other side of a pillow Aerith threw at him.

"Zack! We might not have been dressed!"

His grin went lopsided. "You make that sound like a bad thing. HEY!" He just managed to duck another pillow. "Okay. Okay. We'll be waiting by Cosmo Candle."

Aerith huffed as he closed the door. Once he was gone, her features relaxed into a small smile. "He is right, though, we shouldn't keep everyone waiting."

"I'm not going anywhere looking like Chocobo Head!" Yuffie started ransacking the room. "Didn't anyone think to bring a comb?"

"You didn't," Tifa pointed out. She thought it would be nice to have one, though. Her hair felt like one big knot. She was starting to regret keeping it so long.

Aerith pulled Yuffie away from the nearly demolished end table. "Hold still." She poured a little water from a vase into her hand and proceeded to smooth down Yuffie's hair. "That should do. Now if we hurry maybe the guys will agree to stay long enough for us to buy a comb."

"Then what are we waiting for! Come on!" Yuffie was out the door before she even stopped talking.

* * *

_Ah, it took a while to write that fight scene at the beginning. I wanted to include a scene later where Kunsel asks them why they didn't just cast cure on it, but it didn't end up working with how the story was flowing. The first several times I played through the game it didn't even occur to me to cast cure on an enemy. Then just recently I found out that cure damages undead. *facepalm* It's so obvious after you hear it. Anyway, I might try to fit in a reference later._


	37. They Said the 'Z' Word

**Chapter Thirty-Six - They Said the 'Z' Word**

Zack looked around the group. "So everyone's here, right?"

They all nodded, though they knew someone was missing. For a moment, no one moved.

Barret cleared his throat. "They said they finished fixin' the buggy." As if that needed saying.

"We should get going." Even so, Cloud stayed put.

Aerith looked at her feet. "So this is it, Red, Nanaki."

"Well, he's home now," Kunsel said, "so we can't ask him to come with us."

Unable to excuse delaying any further, they started walking toward the stairs down the cliff.

"Wait for me! I'm coming too!"

They turned and saw Nanaki bounding down the steps from the caves. Bugenhagen followed him at a much more sedate pace.

"Please look after Nanaki."

Zack stepped forward. "We'd be happy to, but what happened? I thought you wanted to stay."

"I think I grew up a little. That's what happened!" Nanaki passed them, running down the stairs to where the buggy was parked.

Zack scratched the back of his head. "Huh. Wonder what that was about." He turned to Bugenhagen. "Don't worry. We'll bring Nanaki back safe."

"Ho, ho, hoooo. I don't doubt it. Take care on your journey."

"Thanks. Okay, everyone, time to move!"

At that, everyone went down the canyon in much better spirits than when they started. Though in Yuffie's case, that seemed to mean complaining that Kunsel should have said cure spells hurt undead before she almost died. At the bottom, Zack grew serious.

"Hey, before we go, I have something that I should have said a while back but didn't since, well, things happened."

Aerith looked up at him. "What is it?"

Zack looked away and scratched his head again. "It's about Nibelheim. You know how I said it burned down?"

"I heard about that from someone, but not you!" Yuffie yelled before being shushed by the rest of the group.

"Yeah, well, it's been rebuilt."

Tifa's eyes widened. "You mean like North Corel? There were survivors?"

"No." Zack shook his head, unable to look Tifa in the eye. "I mean totally rebuilt, as if the whole thing never happened."

"Officially, it didn't happen," Kunsel said. "'Sephiroth and Zack Fair were killed in action while on a classified mission.' That's the story and no one's saying where it happened or how."

Barret let out a few choice curses. "Typical ShinRa. Anythin' ta cover their asses."

"Pretty much." Kunsel leaned on the top of the buggy. "It does bring up a bit of a problem, though."

Yuffie cocked her head. "How's that? There's a town there so there's gonna be an inn or some place where we can spend the night. What's the big deal?"

"Where do you think the people came from? Chances are they're all ShinRa employees, and we're running _from _ShinRa. We might as well just turn ourselves in."

"So we go 'round it. 'Less there's some big 'portant reason why we haveta go there."

Zack looked at Barret. "Well, I thought Sephiroth would be heading there but..."

"We haven't seen any sign of him in days," Kunsel finished. "There isn't even any evidence that he was anywhere near Gongaga."

"So what are we going to do?" Aerith said.

Kunsel shrugged. "Even if Sephiroth isn't going to Nibelheim, we should still check the mansion there. He read something that got all this started, so maybe we can find out what his plan is by going through those books."

"We have to study? Ugh!" Yuffie made a very dramatic show of leaning against the buggy as if exhausted. If her intent was to get sympathy, it backfired.

Cait turned to Tifa and Cloud. "Is there a way to get into the mansion without goin' through the village?"

Cloud and Tifa looked at each other. Tifa nodded. "Nibelheim is in a valley at the edge of the Nibel Range. The mansion is in a side valley surrounded by cliffs. It's possible, but rather dangerous."

"Sounds good to me," Zack said, opening the driver's side door. "Let's go."

*7*7*

Zack pulled the car over as both he and Kunzel groaned.

"What's wrong? Why did we stop?" Aerith leaned forward to get a look through the windshield. The sight made her gasp.

"Wha' the hell's goin' on?"

Zack turned around in his seat. "Nibel wolves. They've got a kill in the middle of the road up ahead and we can't get around."

Yuffie groaned. "I don't care, as long as the car's stopped. Ooooh gawds. I think I'm gonna die."

"I don't think we'll be able to just wait them out," Kunsel said. "They must be pretty desperate to eat out in the open like this, so they might attack the buggy as soon as they're done."

"You're probably right." Cloud took a deep breath before continuing. "We should probably do... something."

"This the third fight today! Wha' kinda messed up place is this?"

Tifa rubbed her ear. Once again, she was sitting next to Barret. "It's Nibelheim. This is pretty normal."

"There's not very many of them," Zack said, "so it shouldn't take too long." He was halfway out the door when he turned around. "Cloud, you want to help with this one?"

"Sure. I'll get our swords."

"I don't think we'll need them this time."

Tifa slid forward so she could watch the fight from the passenger-side door. Hand-to-hand combat was Tifa's specialty, so she could tell Zack has some training beyond the basics. He was also fast and could improvise, which helped a lot. It didn't take an expert, though, to tell that Cloud had no idea what he was doing. Tifa worried for a moment until she saw Cloud's movements change. The fight didn't last long enough for her to be sure, but he seemed to be copying Zack.

"Sorry about that, Cloud," Zack said after they tossed the bodies into the ditch. "I thought the infantry included hand-to-hand training."

Cloud shook his head, looking a little sad. "Just firearms and nightsticks. I guess someone assumed we'd always be armed."

"Weird." Zack stayed silent for while even after getting back behind the wheel. Then he turned with a mischievous grin on his face. "Hey, Tifa, how'd you like to give Cloud some training?"

"I..." Tifa felt her face redden. It shouldn't do that, it was just training! "That would be fine."

Zack laughed as he started the buggy up.

*7*7*

"People live in this $&#* place?" Barret looked up from the rock hills they were climbing to the grey, twisted peaks of the mountains just ahead.

"They did," Tifa said. Even with Zack's warning, it was hard looking over the cliffs and seeing Nibelheim as if that terrible day had never happened. She could even see her house. Any moment, her father could walk through that door into the village square.

"Looks like somebody still does." Kunsel pointed down the hill to the mansion's front gate.

Aerith gasped. "A man in a black cloak!"

"Two of them." Zack frowned. "They don't look so good."

Yuffie jumped onto Zack's shoulders to get a look. "Yeah! They're all zombie-like."

"Hang on," Barret said. "I thought the man in the black cloak wa' Sephiroth. Now you sayin' he ain't?"

Kunsel nodded. "That would explain a few things."

"Hey!" Cait waved his arms frantically from the back of the group. "Stop leavin' me out. Now what's all this about a man in a black cloak?"

Nanaki looked back at him. "We have been pursuing a man in a black cloak under the assumption that he was Sephiroth. However, it seems that wasn't the case."

"But Sephiroth was on the boat from Junon," Cloud said. "We saw him."

Yuffie, still sitting on Zack, crossed her arms over Zack's head. "So maybe he's following us. What?" She looked around as everyone suddenly looked horrified.

"Let's just get down there." Zack picked Yuffie off his shoulders and set her back on the ground, ignoring her kicks and protests.

They snuck around the wall around the estate until they found a spot where the brickwork had crumbled away. It was still a bit of a climb, and Barret muttered and cursed against 'all this sissy sneaking around.'

"Zack," Aerith said, dusting off her dress, "won't there be ShinRa people in the mansion?"

He shook his head. "When we broke out, there was only one researcher in the place. Since we're not there any more, I don't think ShinRa would have any reason to keep anyone there."

"Before that, I think we should have a closer look at the black cloak guys we saw earlier." Kunsel started walking toward the front gate.

Everyone else followed except Cloud. Tifa turned around and saw that he was just standing by the wall, looking dazed.

"Cloud, are you all right?"

He blinked and shook his head. "I'm fine."

Tifa smiled and took his hand. "It's a little strange being back here, isn't it."

"Yeah." They walked together, Cloud keeping his eyes steadily on the ground.

Tifa couldn't see Cloud's face when they neared the gate, but she felt him tense up.

"He's... calling..." One of the black cloaked men stumbled against the gate. "Sephiroth... is... calling..."

"Ew! What is up with these guys?" Yuffie crouched behind Cait's moogle.

Cait tried to back up. "Git off, lass! I'm not a shield!"

The second man shuffled up to the gate. Both reached through the wrought iron bars, apparently trying to grab Zack and Kunsel. "Re...union. Great... Se...phiroth... is... near... in... side... inside... mansion... urrrrrrrgh... reunion... Sephiroth..." Their hands and arms were chalk white and their faces devoid of any expression. The only color visible under the shadow of their hoods was the faint blue glow of mako from their eyes.

Zack backed far away from the gate. All the color drained from his face as he stared at what was left of two human beings.

Kunsel backed up, too, but not as far. "Numbered tattoos."

"What the #$#? I dun care wha' we'd find in that mansion, le's get out o' this creepy place!"

For a rare moment, Zack agreed with Barret. But Kunsel was right, there could be something valuable in there, and that was far more important.

"Let's get inside. Hopefully, there won't be any black cloaked guys in there."

With that possibility in mind, everyone ran for the mansion.

Nanaki sniffed the air inside. "This place isn't safe."

"Can't be much worse than out there." Zack looked out the door one last time before shutting and bolting it. "If nothing else, it's shelter for tonight. Hey, Cloud... Cloud? You okay?" He bent over, brushing Cloud's hair out of his face. Sweat matted his blond hair and his skin felt clammy.

Cloud looked up. He didn't remember sitting down, but he nodded, anyway. "I'm... I'm fine."

Zack frowned. "No. You're not." He pulled Cloud to his feet, keeping an arm around his shoulders for support. "There are beds upstairs you can rest on."

"Easier said than done." Cait pointed up. Floating along the ceiling and around the stairs were things that looked like pumpkins with paper tassels hanging from their bottoms.

Zack pinched the bridge of his nose. "Great. Dorky faces."

"Huh. They don' look so tough."

"Try 'annoying.'" Zack shifted his grip on Cloud, who was still trying to walk off on his own. "Not much to do about it except go though, I guess."

Yuffie twirled her shuriken. "Leave it to me! I'll clear the path!"

"Wait! NO!" Four voices shouted at once, but it was too late. The shuriken arched through the air like a pinwheel of death.

The dorky faces didn't make a sound. They only turned to face the intruders. Several opened their mouths, purple smoke billowing out.

"Damn it, Yuffie! Think before you..." Zack felt dizzy. He had to get upstairs. He had too... get away. Enemies. There were enemies everywhere. Fight. What was he holding? It was breathing. Was it an enemy too? It was moving. Struggling. Enemy. Noises. Something coming. A shape.

"AH!" Suddenly, Zack was very aware of a boot planted straight across his face. He knew who it belonged to, too. "Tifa!"

No good. She didn't recognize him. He caught her fist in his hand and twisted, hard enough to hurt but not so hard that he'd damage anything.

"Ow! Zack? What...?" Tifa looked around. Everyone was fighting each other. "Oh no."

"Yeah. I need you to make sure no one gets killed. I'm going upstairs with Cloud." He stayed just long enough to see Tifa give Barret a swift kick in the rear before tucking Cloud more securely under his arm and running up the stairs.

Cloud was still struggling when they reached the bedroom. Zack closed the door and dropped Cloud on the nearest bed. That instant, Cloud tried to punch Zack.

"Whoa! Watch it." Zack backhanded Cloud in the shoulder. "Now I'm kind of glad you stink at fist fighting."

"Huh?" Cloud blinked several times. "Where are we? Where is everyone?"

Zack pushed Cloud down onto the bed with one hand. "Relax. They're downstairs dealing with the mess Yuffie made."

"Oh, right. The dorky faces." He sat up, but Zack blocked him from getting off the bed. "Zack, I'm fine."

"Yeah. There's nothing wrong with collapsing in a cold sweat." Even so, Zack did back off just far enough to grab a chair. He sat on it backwards with his arms crossed over the back.

Cloud looked away. "I'm fine now. I just..." He didn't really know how to complete that sentence. He felt weak and pathetic for freaking out like that. And over some creepy guys muttering nonsense, too. "You shouldn't worry about me."

"Heh. We're friends, and friends worry about each other." Zack leaned forward and ruffled Cloud's hair. "You're just going to have to get used to a lot of people worrying about you."

Cloud pushed Zack's hand away and watched as he walked toward the door. "Zack?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm just checking on everyone. I'll be right back."

Moments later, Cloud was alone. The sound of fighting seemed to drift further and further away as he curled in on himself. He shouldn't have come. He was a burden. He thought about leaving, but the only thing he could think of doing was looking for Sephiroth by himself. He wanted revenge. Revenge for his hometown. Revenge for making Zack and Tifa suffer.

Just wanting revenge wasn't enough. He was supposed to protect people, but everyone ended up protecting him. If he couldn't protect anyone, how was he supposed to get revenge for them?

He rested his forehead on his knees. "I'm not needed. Zack's here. He can take care of everything."

* * *

_I think I know why this part is so hard to write. It's, well, let's just say that I can identify with Cloud's current emotional state. A lot. And Zack's probably a little shook up, too, what with Cloud looking like he was going to have a relapse and all._

_Anyway, things continue to go along very similarly to the original storyline. I'm actually a bit surprised. I wonder what that says about my typical writing experience, that I'm surprised the characters are following a pre-planned storyline. Just some fair warning, I expect something very different from the original to happen in the next dozen or so chapters. After Rocket Town, definitely. Unless the characters decide they like the game's storyline. Good grief._


	38. Discomfort

**Chapter Thirty-Seven - Discomfort**

"I! Hate! These! Monsters!"

Kunsel hoisted Yuffie up by her armpits as she continued stomping. "We get it! I'm pretty sure it's dead now."

Laughter echoed through the double level foyer. Looking down from the second floor landing stood Zack.

"Looks like you didn't need my help."

Aerith looked up from healing a bullet wound in Barret's foot. Self-inflicted. "Zack, how's Cloud?"

Zack vaulted over the banister before answering. "He's fine. Just needs some rest."

He was close enough so Aerith could look in his eyes and see what he wasn't saying. _Something's wrong, but I don't want to worry anyone._

"Well, we have to find clues now, right? I wouldn't know what to look for, so I'll go check on Cloud."

Kunsel frowned. That didn't sound right. Wouldn't Aerith be one of the people best able to... Then he saw the grateful look on Zack's face. Oh.

"So, where should we look first?" Kunsel said.

Zack studied the ceiling for a bit before answering. "Sephiroth spent the most time in the library, but that was five years ago and some of the stuff might've been moved. There were a lot of papers and books scattered around when we escaped. We should probably search the whole mansion, just to be sure."

Nanaki looked up at Zack. "That's a lot of ground to cover."

"Yeah, that's true. Right. So we'll split into two teams. One will take the first floor and the other will take the second. Whoever finishes first will help the other team on their floor and then we'll move on to the basement."

*7*7*

"Cloud?" The scene in front of Aerith reminded her of when she found him in her garden. Of course, the surroundings were different, but Cloud looked just as he did then. Like a lost little boy.

He looked up just enough to see her, then let his head sink down onto his knees again. "Are you worried about me, too?"

"Should I be?"

"No."

"Then I won't." Still, she didn't leave, either. She sat lightly on the edge of the bed as if waiting for something.

It took surprisingly little time for the silence to wear down Cloud.

"Why do you care?"

Aerith looked at him as if she had no idea what he was talking about. "Care about what?"

"About me." Cloud didn't dare look directly at her. "I'm... broken."

"Isn't everyone?" She actually laughed a little. "No one's perfect, Cloud."

Cloud's eyes unfocused. "Zack is."

"Hmm. I wouldn't know about that." Aerith lightly touched her fingers to her chin and tilted her head to one side. "You know, you're making me wonder if maybe I should worry that you'll try to take my boyfriend away from me."

"What?" It took Cloud a moment to process what she was implying. As he did, his face drained of color and his eyes widened. "What? No! That's not what I meant! I lo..." Color returned to his face in full force.

Aerith laughed as he tried to hide his increasingly red cheeks. "I know, but don't you think it's rather silly to see someone as perfect? It's not possible." She looked down at her feet swinging just above the floor. "You know, it was Zack's idea that I sell flowers, but when we tried it out, he ended up chasing our first customer away! He's good with people, but he's a horrible salesman." She giggle at the memory. "And he's a terrible flirt, too. Oh, I don't mean that he's bad at it, he's very good, a real lady's man. That's kind of the problem. I really thought it was possible that he left and found another girlfriend somewhere." She looked back at Cloud, who had peeked over his knees as she talked. "So you see? Everyone has faults and things they wish they had done differently."

He felt stupid. Of course Aerith was right. But he couldn't shake the feeling that something was especially wrong with him. No. He knew there was something especially wrong with him. Unless these things in his head were normal. He was afraid to ask.

*7*7*

Yuffie groaned. "This is soooo boooooring. I'd rather fight one of those creepy pendulum guys again."

"Well, you can always go outside. I'm sure something would attack you." It's not like this was Kunsel's idea of a good time, either. And why did he keep ending up with Yuffie, anyway?

Gunfire echoed down the back hall from the kitchen, followed by a couple explosions.

"Sounds like Barret and Cait are having fun."

Yuffie dropped her head onto the piano, resulting in a horribly out of tune clang. "There's nothing here! Can't we just go?"

Kunsel started to agree. He thought for sure that one clue had something to do tea cups, or something similar. Though he had no idea what the 'ray' would be. He turned to say as much, but ended up just staring.

Yuffie noticed this. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Ivories. Tea and ray. I am such an idiot!" Kunsel slapped his forehead.

He'd lost it, Yuffie thought for sure she was stuck in a room with a crazy SOLDIER. "Uh, hey, I wouldn't say you were an idiot..." She slid off the bench, keeping her hands up and the piano between her and Kunsel.

Not that he seemed to notice. Even as Yuffie backed away, he dove for the floor. "Piano keys used to be made out of ivory. I don't remember most of the musical scale, but 'tea' and 'ray' were in there somewhere. AH HA!" In what seemed to be a single motion, he took out the letter's second page and a pen and wrote something next to the second hint.

"Wait. You mean I was sitting on top of the clue this whole time?"

"Pretty much." Kunsel jumped up, the paper and pen back in his pocket. "We better go see what Barret and Cait found."

*7*7*

"Excuse me." Tifa opened the door to the bedroom slowly. "Zack said I should start searching in here. Just in case."

Aerith smiled and stood up. "Of course. Cloud's feeling a lot better, so I'm sure he'd be happy to help. Right, Cloud?"

"Uh, yeah." Cloud stood up, though he had this horrible feeling that he was being set up.

"Great." Aerith almost skipped on her way to the door. "I'll just go see if there's anything I can help with. Have fun!"

With that parting word, both Cloud and Tifa were silently and profoundly aware that they were in a bedroom. Alone. Neither looked at the other, so they couldn't see that both their faces were starting to turn red.

"I'm... glad you're feeling better."

"Yeah. Just needed to sit down, I guess."

"So, we should start searching the room now, right?"

"Yeah."

Looking more for something to make the situation less awkward than for anything related to their mission, Tifa glanced around the room until her eyes settled on a bookcase. "There. We can start there."

Cloud still didn't look at Tifa. He grabbed a pile of books and set himself up near the wardrobe on the other side of the room. Tifa stayed near the bookcase. Neither spoke for several minutes, the silence broken only by the rustle of paper.

*7*7*

Zack dropped the book he'd been flipping through and rubbed his eyes. "Ugh. I don't suppose you understand any of this, Red? Ah! Calling you Nanaki is going to take some getting used to."

"It's all right. At least you're making the effort. As for your question, I am not familiar with many of the terms used in these books."

"Figures." Zack grimaced at the next tome in the stack. _Survey of Mako Concentrations In Auxiliary Reactor Personnel Compared To Local Population._ Fun. "I'm starting to think this wasn't such a great idea."

"I suppose we could go straight to the basement, but I got the impression that you wanted to put that off for as long as possible."

Zack gave Nanaki a guilty smile. "That obvious, huh?"

"That's where you were held, isn't it? It's understandable that you would not want to go back there. I know I have no desire to revisit the lab where I was kept."

"Yeah." Zack still didn't pick up the next book, preferring to glare at it. "Still, I can't put it off forever."

"Put what off?"

Zack nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the new voice, even if it was familiar. "Aerith! It's, uh..." He scratched the back of his head and fidgeted. "I kinda don't want to go back into the basement."

Whatever reaction he was expecting, it wasn't giggles.

"Aerith? Am I missing something?"

"Hmm. Not really." She leaned forward slightly with her hands behind her back. "You're just a little more flawed than some give you credit for."

"Uh, good?"

Aerith managed to look serious even while still smiling. "Yes and no. If something is bothering you, you should say so."

For a moment, Zack didn't say anything. He scratched the back of his head again and breathed out a half-hearted laugh. "I should follow my own advice. Okay. Let's get everyone together and make a new plan."

"We should pick up Tifa and Cloud last. I left them alone in the other wing."

Zack's grin returned. "Mind reading wouldn't happen to be a Cetra ability, would it?"

"Hmm. Maybe. Not that I'd need it to know what you're thinking."

"Are you calling me simple?"

She shrugged. "You said it, not me."

*7*7*

"I never thanked you," Tifa finally said.

Cloud blinked. "For what?"

"For protecting me at the reactor. Remember? You stayed with me while Zack and... Sephiroth went inside. You protected me from that monster."

He remembered that. One of the few almost pleasant things about that time was standing with her outside the reactor. Even though he didn't dare talk to her and she soon grew tired of talking at him, just being with her sent his insides churning in not entirely unpleasant ways. "I didn't do a very good job."

Tifa turned to look at him, even though his back remained facing her. "What do you mean?"

Cloud's shoulders slumped as he gave up pretending to read the book in front of him. "I was knocked out. If Zack hadn't come..."

"If you hadn't taken that blast for me, it wouldn't matter if Zack came or not." She slid a bit closer to him. "I... I just wanted to thank you, for keeping our promise."

Cloud squeezed his eyes shut. A moment passed when Tifa thought he wasn't going to respond.

"You're welcome."

This time neither of them could find the words to break the awkward silence. This time, the silence, if not the awkwardness, was broken by Zack bursting into the room. His face fell almost instantly from mischievous anticipation to disappointment.

"You two have been reading this whole time? Never mind. Kunsel's found something, we just have to figure out what 'the box with the most oxygen' is."

They heard Barret's voice out in the hall. "An' I say we jes' bust the safe open! It don't look so tough."

"Is that your solution to everythin'?" Cait said. "Bustin' somethin'?"

"Hey, guys! Plants make oxygen, right?"

Everyone turned or poked their heads out to see what Yuffie meant. She stood in the doorway to a large circular room full of potted plants.

Zack tipped his head to one side, thinking. "That was a bedroom five years ago. Hey, Kunsel, how old did you say that letter was?"

"Old. Definitely more than five years. The page with the hints is a lot newer, though."

"Makes sense. I had gotten that safe open once before, so someone could have reset the combination."

"How did you guys win the war if all you do is talk?" Yuffie slammed down the lid of a box in the center of the room. The first number of the combination is 'right 36.'"

Barret crossed his arms. "I'm still not sure 'bout this. We don't know if this guy'll be an enemy or what."

"He's been asleep for years, Barret." Aerith looked up at the big man with her best pleading expression. "We can't just leave him like that."

As Barret melted under Aerith's gaze, Cloud and Tifa looked on in confusion.

Tifa spoke first. "Are we missing something?"

Red padded over to her and motioned with his ears toward the room opposite them. Through the door, Kunsel could be seen examining a large, old-fashioned safe. "Kunsel found a letter indicating that someone, possibly Hojo, experimented on a man and trapped him somewhere in the mansion. The key to his location is in that safe."

Tifa started to respond when a shout almost drowned out by the rending of metal rang out of the room. The noise was quickly followed by Kunsel flying backwards through the open doorway and into Zack.

Barret had his gun arm up while Kunsel was still in flight. He hesitated when he saw what had thrown the SOLDIER. "How the hell'd that thing fit in the safe?"

'Thing' was a good way to describe it, as it looked like no animal or monster any of them had seen before. Half of it was red and orange and a mass of tentacles, two of which were longer and seemed to fuction as the primary limbs for that side. The other side was purple and green with an arm coming out of where the ear would be and a leg instead of a neck. It was huge, easily three or more times the size of the safe, or what was left of it.

"Would explain why it's so angry." Kunsel shook his head as he tried to regain his footing. "Whoa! Look out!"

The warning barely left his mouth as the monster released a thunder spell through the doorway.

*7*7*

Between blasts of magic, Barret's cursing, and half a dozen people trying to hit a monster through a two and a half square yard hole, it was a wonder no one was killed. As it was, the only one unscathed was Tifa. This mainly because Cloud shoved her into the bedroom and blocked the door the instant the monster started attacking.

For which she glared at him once the fight was over. That is, until she saw the state of the hallway and everyone in it. Even Zack looked the worse for wear.

Cloud only saw the glare. After that, nothing could take his eyes away from the floor.

Which gave him the perfect vantage point to see a certain ninja make a dive for a small red ball.

He dove after her, but was a second too late. She rolled out of range and waved her prize in the air.

"My materia! I saw it first!" She ignored the collective groan as she rolled the materia in her palms. "So, what is it?"

"A summon." Kunsel's helpful comment was answered by a scowl.

"I know _that_. You don't get to be the world's greatest materia hunter if you can't tell a materia's basic type. I mean what summon is it?"

Zack leaned against what was left of the door frame. "Wouldn't the world's greatest materia hunter be able to tell?"

Yuffie looked like she wanted to throw something. "If you don't know, just say so!"

"It's Odin."

Everyone's attention turned to Cloud, who had somehow managed to stand up without anyone noticing.

Cait spoke first. "Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you haveta touch a materia before you can tell what it is?"

"Yeah," Kunsel said. "Usually."

"That 'portant or som'in'?"

Yes and no. Zack pinched the bridge of his nose. "Let's just see if there's anything left of the key and get this over with."

* * *

_Sorry folks, no Vincent yet. Actually, I thought I could put off the basement scenes a bit longer. Not so. I don't know if I can do scary. I've tried in the past, and it mostly just got snickers. Granted, my test audience consisted of my little sisters..._

_Maybe the question should be if I can do scary with Yuffie in the party._


	39. Waking the Nightmare

**Chapter Thirty-Eight - Waking the Nightmare**

Tseng stepped into the office at the military base. "Sir."

Rufus looked up. "Ah, Tseng, what is it?"

Before Tseng could reply, Reno stuck his head into the room. "We've been babysitting Professor Psycho for days! We need a-AAH!" His pained exclamation was cut off by the door slamming in his face.

Tseng returned his foot to the floor, otherwise never having left parade rest. "I'd like to request leave for the Turks."

"Hmm. I can see why. All right. We're heading to Rocket Town soon, anyway, so they can start their leave then. I hear Wutai is quite pleasant this time of year."

"And me, sir?"

Rufus smirked. "My apologies, but someone on this trip besides myself has to be competent. Perhaps once things settle down."

"Yes, sir."

*7*7*

The thing everyone seemed to struggle with was whether to look through the secret doorway or back as far away from it as possible. Yuffie made her choice the quickest.

"I'm not going anywhere near that thing! First you tell me we're looking for a guy in a COFFIN and now we find out he's at the bottom of a bottomless pit? THAT isn't worth any materia in the world!" She paused for a moment as if considering her words. "Okay, maybe some materia, but none of the materia that you guys have!"

"How can he be at the bottom if the pit is bottomless?" Cait asked, getting a glare in response.

Barret grunted. "Can't believe I'm sayin' this, but I gotta 'gree wit' the brat. ("I have a name!") Damn stairs look like they'd c'lapse any moment. Least the ones we kin see."

"No railings, either." Kunsel leaned over the edge as far as he dared. "That'd be quite a drop. Wonder why they went with wood for the stairs."

"Was it like this... back then?" Tifa asked.

Zack nodded. "Maybe a little more mildewy now, but otherwise the same." He looked back at the rest of the group. "None of you have to come, really."

"Som'ne's gotta pull yer sorry ass outta that hole when you get inta trouble." Barret crossed his arms, as if daring anyone to point out the disagreement with his earlier statement.

Cloud's answer was almost inaudible. "I'm coming, too."

"Not me!" Yuffie looked ready to tie herself to the bed post. "Reading a bunch of dusty books with ghosts and vampires and who knows what looking over my shoulder? No way!"

Tifa and Aerith looked torn between going with the others and staying with the youngest member of their party. Nanaki made their decision a little easier. "Given my lack of opposable thumbs, I will stay and guard the entrance."

Aerith took Zack's hand. "I'm staying with you."

Zack smiled, taking his hand out of hers and wrapping his arm around her waist. "Thanks."

"I'm going, too." Tifa looked almost relieved.

Cloud, however, looked troubled. "You don't have to."

"I know. But I want to."

Kunsel looked at the last of their group. "What about you, Cait?"

Cait looked about as nervous as a stuffed toy could. "I'd really rather not, but, ummm..." He peered through the doorway. "No. Better not. 'Too many cooks' and all that if there were a fight."

"Fair enough," Zack said. "So, Cloud and I'll go first and Kunsel will take up the rear since we can see better in the dark."

"Yeah? An' what's keepin' the rest of us from bumpin' into ev'ryone else?"

Kunsel tossed Barret a metal cylinder roughly six inches long. "Already taken care of. Do you know how to operate a wind-up lantern?"

"Sure I do." Barret turned the lantern over in his hand. "Jes' not one-handed."

Tifa held out her hand. "I'll take it then, Barret."

"Okay," Zack said, stepping toward the abyss, "let's go."

*7*7*

The stairs creaked and groaned underfoot. It felt dead, like walking into a tomb. Only they couldn't shake the feeling that something down there might not be quite dead.

Kunsel glanced up and noticed the melted end of a metal cable hanging from a rusted pulley. "Looks like you might not have been the only ones to escape."

"Wouldn't be surprised. Oh!" Zack pinched his nose. "Smells like bats moved in. Keep your eyes open and try not to breath too much."

Barret swore. "Keep 'r eyes open? We'll be lucky if 'r eyes dun' melt!"

His voice rang against the walls, echoing down until they were left in that oppressive silence again.

"Some of the bats around here drink blood," Tifa warned. She pointed the lantern up, searching for anything that might drop on them.

The shadows shifted right before an unearthly shriek echoed down the shaft.

"Run!"

Cloud couldn't tell who yelled that order. He ran half blind through the cloud of leathery wings, his ears ringing. Vaguely, he was aware of teeth biting into his skin and batted the creatures away. He thought he heard someone scream and spun around.

A mistake. The step under him cracked, pinning his leg in place. Someone, he couldn't tell who, ran into him. He tried to twist out of the way but only managed to pull himself and the other person over the edge of the stairs.

Small, pink, smelled like flowers.

_Aerith. If she dies, it's my fault._

He barely had time to think, let alone act. He tried to shield her as they crashed into crates. Iron bars bent and snapped under him and he was vaguely aware of the musty smell of old bones.

*7*7*

The wave of bats passed, revealing what everyone had feared. Cloud and Aerith were gone.

"They're okay." Despite his words, Zack looked grim. "Let's hurry, but everyone watch your step!"

Tifa followed with everyone else, but silently wished she'd stayed upstairs. _It's my fault._

*7*7*

Cloud sat up, wincing as he became aware of the bits of wood and metal sticking out of his body. Ignoring his own pain as best he could, he checked Aerith for injuries. She was unconscious and a little blood trickled down her forehead from where she hit his shoulder guard, but otherwise she seemed fine.

From above came the sound of feet on rotting planks. Then Zack's voice. Cloud stood, carrying Aerith.

Aerith groaned. "Cloud. I can walk."

"You're hurt."

She reached up and felt the blood on the side of her face. "It's just a scratch. Put me down so I can cast cure on everyone."

Everyone? Cloud looked up and saw that the others were near the bottom of the stairs. They looked relieved. Zack smiled, though he looked a little tired.

"We have got to do something about this habit you have of falling to your doom."

Cloud shrugged after he set Aerith on her feet. "ShinRa needs to work on quality control."

Zack chuckled. "Yeah, or at least regular maintenance."

"Excuse me, are you going to ignore your girlfriend after her 'fall to her doom'?" Aerith had her hands on her hips, looking somewhere between amused and put out.

"Maybe I did that on purpose so I could hear you call yourself my girlfriend." Zack leaned over Aerith.

Aerith pushed him lightly away. "Oh, you."

"We gonna haveta get you two a room or we gonna move out?"

"Barret!"

Zack waved off the objection. "He's right, Tifa, we have to get moving. Ah. After Cloud gets that trash pile picked out of his back."

"I'll help." Tifa stepped forward to help Aerith coax Cloud into sitting. While they worked, Tifa tried to keep things light and not think about what those bits of wood and metal had been used for. "I wonder if any of those bats made their way into the bedroom upstairs."

Cloud tried to shrug, but ended up wincing as one of the splinters came loose. "I'm sure Nanaki and Yuffie can take care of themselves."

Tifa sighed. So much for light.

Aerith caught on, though. "I'm sure we'd have heard Yuffie screaming if that happened. We'd probably hear her on the other side of the continent." The green light of cure spread over Cloud's back. "There. All done."

She made it sound cheerful, but everyone knew that it meant they had to go on. The stairs seemed friendly in comparison to the stony, black throat that opened before them.

*7*7*

Barret swore when the door opened to reveal several coffins in various states of disrepair. "An' here I thought that stuff 'bout a guy in a coffin was jes' you tryin' to freak out the brat."

"I can't believe someone could sleep in a place like-OH!" Aerith's hands flew up to cover her face as the lantern light revealed a partially mummified corpse in one of the open caskets. Its face, what was left of it, seemed frozen in the midst of screaming.

Zack wrapped his arms around her and gently turned her so she was facing into his chest. "I'm sorry. You didn't need to see this. I'll take you back upstairs."

Aerith shook her head. A rather abbreviated action with her nose pressed into the crease between Zack's pectorals. "No, it's fine. Really. I was just startled."

"You're starting to sound like Cloud." Zack looked over at Cloud. "You are being a bad influence on my girlfriend."

Cloud blinked. "Uh..."

"He's teasing." Kunsel knocked Cloud on the back of his head as he stepped into the room. A quick glance around the room confirmed that Aerith was either putting on a very brave face or she hadn't seen even half of the bodies.

Some of them were child size.

Kunsel took a deep breath. No point making this any harder than it already was. "It'd be kinda cramped if everyone tries to stand in here and we don't know how friendly this guy is in the morning. Tifa, Aerith, and I can stand guard outside." He nearly glared at Zack. "And no arguments. This time I'm in the group with the beautiful women."

Zack chuckled. "No problem. I know both of them would hand you your ass if you tried anything funny."

Despite his words and lighthearted tone, he seemed reluctant to let go of Aerith. Understandable, given the comfort he was almost certainly getting in return. Finally, the only ones left in the room were Zack, Cloud, and Barret.

"Dun' mind tellin' ya I'd rather be anywhere but here, so le's get this over with."

Zack nodded, his face set in grim determination. He knelt by the coffin, slipping the key into the lock. Who would put a lock on a _coffin_, anyway? Hojo, obviously, but someone still had to build the thing, and the lock looked like it was part of the original design.

Those increasingly disturbing thoughts vanished as he turned the key. "Huh, that's weird. Why would anyone bother to hide the key again if the coffin isn't locked?"

"Who cares! Jes' open the damn thing!"

Zack barely put his hand on the lid when a low voice drifted out, almost making him jump. "...To wake me from the nightmare." The lid moved as if of its own accord, revealing a tall man in a tattered red cloak and black jumpsuit. Red eyes gazed out from under a wide, red headband and long, black hair. The darkness of the room and his clothes made his unhealthy pallor stand out all the more. "Who is it?"

The man sat slowly and stared at each person in the room in such a way that Zack, at least, wondered if the man could blink. "...Never seen you before. You must leave."

"No kidding," Zack said with a bit of a snort.

Barret did his best to intimidate the strange man. "I woke ya up. Ya outta be thankin' me."

"You were having a nightmare." Cloud's voice barely reached above a whisper.

Finally, the man closed his eyes. "Hmph... A nightmare...? My long sleep has given me time to atone."

"Wait, what?" Zack stood with his head to one side.

The man turned his eyes to Zack, who suddenly had to wonder if this guy was related to Sephiroth. They certainly shared an uncanny ability to stare right through someone. Disturbing on several levels. "I have nothing to say to strangers. Get out. This mansion is the beginning of your nightmare."

Zack chuckled grimly at that. "You can say that again."

"Hmm? What do you know?"

"Not much, really." Zack scratched the back of his head. "Just that something here made Sephiroth go nuts and..."

"Sephiroth?"

Zack and the man in the coffin looked at each other. "You know Sephiroth?"

The man somehow jumped from a seated position to back flip and float down. He stood balanced on the edge of the coffin. "You start first."

"Again?" Zack glanced over at Cloud. He didn't look like he wanted a retelling of those events, either. "Well, to make it short..."

*7*7*

Aerith looked around. "It's very dark. Do you think we should look for a light switch?"

"It probably wouldn't be a good idea to wander too far right now. Besides, there's not much to see." Other than manacles screwed into the wall and smears that looked a little too much like blood, but Kunsel wasn't about to tell them that.

Silence fell again and Kunsel dropped his head back against the doorpost. This was getting awkward.

Aerith again broke the silence. "Tifa, are you doing all right?"

"Hmm? Oh, I'm fine." Tifa smiled, she looked tired. "Just feeling a little drained." She stretched as Kunsel tried very hard to look anywhere but her... anywhere but her. "After this is all over I think I may get a haircut, the back of my head weighs a ton."

"Oh, but your hair is so beautiful! I wish mine could grow that long."

Tifa's smile came more easily this time, though she looked just as tired. "I do like it long, but it takes forever to wash and I hate to think how many knots are probably in it right now. It must be a disaster."

No, Kunsel realized, this was where things got awkward. On the one hand, he could offer to cut Tifa's hair himself, he had a sword, after all. On the other, this was girl talk. He was a guy. Standing outside a room full of dead bodies. With two women who were talking about hair.

Then he noticed part of her hair move. It could have been the light, or lack thereof, but Kunsel didn't take that chance.

Before Tifa could process what happened, never mind protest, Kunsel spun her around so her back faced away from the wall and pulled the lantern from her hand.

"Kunsel!" Tifa and Aerith exclaimed at nearly the same time.

"Hold still." Kunsel grabbed the hair near Tifa's shoulders. Instantly, the hair shrieked.

Tifa froze. She only dared to move her eyes to look over at Aerith. The flower girl stared at what Kunsel held, her eyes wide.

Kunsel pulled the hair away. A thin trickle of blood ran down Tifa's back from the base of her neck to her shirt. Sticking out of her hair were a pair of leathery wings and a mouth armed with teeth glistening with blood.

The bat shrieked again as Kunsel shifted his grip.

"How do you feel about getting a haircut right now?"

Tifa couldn't risk looking back at Kunsel, so she had to trust his voice. Keeping her voice as level as possible, she said, "Do what you have to."

Kunsel handed the lantern over to Aerith then drew his sword. Just as he positioned the blade against Tifa's hair, the door to the coffin room opened.

Zack stood in the doorway. "Hey, is everyone... What are you doing?"

"There's a bat stuck in Tifa's hair."

"Oh, okay. When you're done we're about to hear the mystery man's backstory."

Cloud's voice drifted out from the room. "He's getting back in the coffin."

"What?" Zack closed the door, muffling his and Barret's voices as they demanded an explanation.

Kunsel rolled his eyes to the ceiling before continuing with Tifa's haircut. The bulk of her hair free of her head, Kunsel threw the mass to the floor and stabbed it where the bat's head would be. Blood oozed out of the tangled hair.

Soon after that, the door burst open. Barret stormed into the passage followed by Zack and Cloud. "Creepy white-faced bastard. Who the hell atones by sleepin' in a box?"

"I take it he isn't going to help us," Kunsel said.

Zack sighed. "Yeah. Though it's weird, he looks way too young to have been around when Sephiroth was born. Hey, Tifa, uh, that's a good look on you."

Aerith giggled, or at least tried to. "I think this might be one time when it would be more polite not to notice the change, Zack."

"Hey, back up," Kunsel interrupted. "What was that about Sephiroth's birth?"

Before Zack could answer, Cloud spoke up. He was staring back into the coffin room. "Did you hear something?"

Everyone fell silent. Tifa strained her ears to pick up whatever Cloud had heard. For a long time there was nothing, though Kunsel, Zack, and Cloud acted as if there was something to pay attention to. Then she heard it. Shuffling, scraping against wood and the faint crunch of dried bone. Just as she tried to crane her neck to see through the doorway, Zack slammed the door shut.

"Wha' the hell was that about?"

Zack looked pale. "Damn, Hojo. As if there weren't enough monsters around naturally." He squeezed the bridge of his nose and swore. "Vincent's still in there."

Kunsel raised an eyebrow. "Who? The guy in the coffin?"

"Yeah." Zack pulled the door open again, already reaching for his sword. Before he could fully draw it, a bolt of lightning shot out of the room, hitting Zack full in the chest. He staggered back a step, but stayed upright.

Visible through the doorway was what looked like a tall corpse with two heads and short wings that looked more like rotting foliage. The monster lurched toward them, hands ending in long claws reached forward.

Aerith hid behind Zack. "Is that an experiment?"

"Probably." Zack kept his eyes on the monster. He could charge, but there wasn't much room to swing his sword, and he didn't know how the thing would react to magic.

Barret acted first in his usual way. Screaming and pumping the threat full of bullets.

The two-headed monster bent backwards at the waist when hit, so far back that the top of its bony heads nearly scraped the floor. Then it shot back up and lunged.

Zack managed to stop his swing in time to realize Cloud had appeared in front of him. How only became apparent after they had both been thrown off-balance by the monster's over-sized claws.

Somewhere, somehow, Cloud had found a cover materia and hadn't bothered to tell anyone.

Cloud blocked the second clawed attack just barely in time to save his head while Zack slid out from under him. Even so, a wet crunch and a strangled cry of pain alerted even those without heightened senses that Cloud probably wasn't going to do much fighting for a while.

Tifa let out something between an anguished shriek and a battle cry as she aimed a flying kick to the back of one of the monster's heads. Kunsel had his sword out, but decided it might be in his best interest to stay out of the way while the martial artist pummeled the creature.

Apparently, standing back hadn't occurred to Cloud, especially after the monster's right half hit Tifa with thousands of razor-sharp ice shards. Even though Tifa immediately dove right back at the thing with a set of rapid punches followed by a roundhouse kick.

As soon as Tifa's foot cleared the monster's midsection, a blazing arc of blue energy crashed into the creature's torso. It barely had time to recover before Cloud swung at it again.

The monster didn't react to the onslaught. If anything, it looked excited. Cloud decapitated the head responsible for casting magic, but for some reason the other's neck was too heavily armored.

Cloud pushed off, ready for another charge, when a fireball exploded where Cloud had been.

On the other side of the passageway, Kunsel held his sword in a defensive position, releasing fireballs out of his left fist as fast as he could. Soon, the monster collapsed, dead.

"That side only used physical attacks," Kunsel explained as the creature dissolved into pyreflies. "The other side used magic, so I thought it likely that it's defenses were designed the same way."

Zack slapped his fist into his open palm. "Hey, that's right! The safe monster was like that, too."

"Yeah." Kunsel glanced over where Aerith was busy tending to Cloud's right arm, with Tifa hovering nearby. "Cloud, I didn't know you were ambidextrous."

"Huh?"

"Ambidextrous, it mean y-"

"I know what it means." Cloud looked a little more angry than necessary at the mistake. "And I'm not..." He looked down, picking up his sword at the same time. His eyes widened as if he had just then realized that he was holding it in his left hand.

Zack jumped in. "Hey, you're right arm was busted up and you were in battle mode. It's not that weird."

Kunsel didn't quite agree, but pursuing the question wasn't important at the moment. "Let's find the library."

"'Bout time! Sooner we git outta here the better!"

* * *

_I usually fail, hard, at scary. Of course, getting giggles in response to your ghost stories will give that impression. Thankfully, I got some help from Oddball167, so I'm feeling a little more confident. Now, seriously, what was that thing? Ying and Yang. The two headed... thing... that spent most of its time being happy or excited instead of attacking. That thing creeped me out way more than any of Jenova's many forms._


	40. Forbidden Knowledge

This is getting uploaded later in the day than I usually like. Oh well, not much to be done about it, I had to go to work. Yes! I have a job! Finally!

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Nine - Forbidden Knowledge**

The lab was not that much further down the rough passageway. Though the darkness made seeing more than a few feet in front of them difficult even for the SOLDIERs, they were all left with the impression that there was a lot more to this hidden basement than what they were willing to explore.

Taking a deep breath first, Zack opened the door to the lab. He tried not to look at the operating table too closely as he stepped in. An action that left him in an ideal position to notice the slightly ajar door and the flapping of stiff leather.

It was probably too late for stealth, but Zack motioned for everyone to stay quiet, anyway. And for Tifa and Aerith to move to the back of the group.

He waited for the others to reposition before striding to the library door and throwing it the rest of the way open. "Sephiroth!"

The former hero barely acknowledged Zack's presence. "Being here brings back memories. Are you going to-"

Anything Sephiroth might have asked was interrupted by a fist to his face. Despite the power behind the strike, Sephiroth only took a half step back, blinking more out of confusion than pain.

"Wake the hell up!" Zack stepped forward as Kunsel, watching from the doorway, stepped back. As much as he wanted to support his friend, if Zack wanted to commit suicide, that was his problem. "You aren't Cetra and Jenova isn't your mom. Wake up!"

Sephiroth's eyes narrowed. "Of course I'm not Cetra. I'm something much greater than that. Now, are you going to join the Reunion?"

Zack froze. The words were chilling by themselves. The way Sephiroth looked past him as he spoke filled his veins with ice water. Slowly, he looked over his shoulder and saw Cloud standing in the doorway. The younger man looked like he was fighting to stay conscious.

"I..." Cloud shook his head. "I don't know what that is!"

Sephiroth smiled. "Jenova will be at the Reunion. Jenova will rejoin the Reunion becoming a calamity from the skies."

"Shut up!" Zack grabbed Sephiroth by the front of his coat. Or, rather, tried to. For some reason, he couldn't move his hand the last two inches to make the actual grab.

Sephiroth glared at Zack as if he were a dog that had whizzed on his boots. "...I see. I don't think you have the right to participate." He strode forward toward Cloud. "I will go north past Mt. Nibel. If you wish to find out... then follow." At that moment he threw something at Cloud, hitting him in the head. The last Zack could see of the man was the bottoms of his boots as he flew out the door.

At that moment, Zack could move his hand again. He ran to Cloud just as Kunsel reappeared in the doorway.

"Okay, how does he keep doing that?"

"Huh?" Zack was too concerned about Cloud, who insisted that he was fine, to piece together what Kunsel meant.

Kunsel waved at the ceiling. "Sephiroth! The flying thing and passing through walls! He's acting more like a ghost than..." His jaw dropped as the possibility sank in.

"So, wha' yer sayin' is we're chasin' a ghost?" Barret entered the lab followed by a rather reluctant Tifa and Aerith.

Zack shifted his attention from Cloud to what Sephiroth had thrown at him. "He seemed pretty solid for a ghost." Materia? Why would Sephiroth throw materia at them?

Cloud leaned against one of the bookshelves. "The ghosts in the Cosmo Canyon caves were pretty solid, too."

"Good point." Zack turned the materia over in his palm. Debarrier, a spell he rarely had any use for, but it still didn't explain Sephiroth's actions.

Tifa managed to find her voice at this point. "Is this... where you were held?"

"Uh, yeah." Zack scratched the back of his neck as Cloud seemed to retreat further into his own head. "Right, so, books. Though I don't know how helpful that'll be given what Sephiroth just said."

"What did he say?" Aerith's voice was quiet, like she was trying hard to keep it from breaking.

"Reunion." Cloud shook his head again. "We should leave. Now."

Kunsel was the only one in the group who wasn't eager to do just that. If anything, he looked disappointed. "We should at least take a look around, in case Sephiroth was here for something other than throwing materia at us."

"Why'd he do that, anyways?" Barret eyed the sphere in Zack's hand suspiciously. "It isn't gonna blow up or nuthin', is it?"

Zack shrugged. "It's just debarrier, so I don't think so."

"Destruct materia." At Zack's confused look, Kunsel elaborated. "That's what they're calling it now. The level one spell is debarrier, level two is despell, and level three is death."

"Whoa! What?" Zack tossed the materia away like it had suddenly turned into a rabid zolom. "Whose brilliant idea was it to group that spell with anti-defense spells?"

Kunsel caught the flying materia and slipped it into his pocket. "Don't know. But it might come in handy later."

Zack frowned. He'd never used that spell, it always seemed like cheating, but Kunsel had a point. "Well, let's just take a quick look around and then we'll head up."

"No," Cloud said firmly. "We have to follow Sephiroth."

"Follow him where?" Kunsel pointed at the ceiling. "He vanished, remember? And 'north past Mt. Nibel' doesn't narrow things down a lot."

Zack set a comforting hand on Cloud's shoulder. "Hey, I don't want to spend any more time in here than absolutely necessary, either. We could even stand guard out in the passageway. I know I'd much rather face whatever monsters might be out there than stay in here."

Cloud sighed and for a moment he looked more like a sullen teenager than a trained warrior. "Sure. As long as we leave soon."

*7*7*

While Tifa and Aerith mainly served to keep Barret from destroying the library before they were finished, Kunsel found himself increasingly interested in the documents they found. Disgusted, but still very interested.

It got to the point where Kunsel started looking for a blank notebook and pen so he could take notes. That's when Zack decided they'd all had enough and dragged Kunsel out.

"But, Zack! Okay, I understand you don't like the place and it's all pretty disturbing, but I want to be able to keep track of what's in there just in case we ever get a chance to find out how much of it was true. And it wasn't just the Jenova Project! There's documentation on what happened to Kalm in there! Oh, right, you wouldn't know about that. When I was a kid there was an 'accident' involving a test missile and Kalm was destroyed. The only original parts left are the wall and the clock tower. Anyway, everyone was told that there weren't any survivors but apparently there were and they were taken here."

Zack paled. Cloud, walking at the back of the group, responded only by intensifying his glare at the ground. Tifa and Aerith's eyes widened and Barret grumbled.

It took a moment for Zack to find his voice. "What happened to them?"

"I didn't get that far." Kunsel's enthusiasm drained with his words. "I think they may have been the people you saw in the reactor."

The muscles in Zack's jaw twitched. "We're leaving."

"Wait!"

Everyone spun around, surprised. The SOLDIERs were even more surprised because they hadn't heard anyone come up behind them.

There, standing just inside the beam of the lantern, was a man in a tattered cloak that seemed to move as if alive. His dark hair and clothing emphasized the deathly pallor of his skin.

Zack nodded to the new arrival. "Vincent."

It may have been a trick of the light, but Vincent's red eyes seemed to almost glow. "If I go with you, will I meet Hojo?"

"Maybe. I know I wouldn't mind putting him out of the world's misery."

Cloud nodded.

With a flourish, Vincent turned around. He muttered a name only the SOLDIERs could hear. "Lucrecia..." A moment later, he turned to them again. "All right. I've decided to go with you."

Aerith smiled. "You are?"

Vincent nodded, a short movement that reminded everyone of Cloud. "Being a former Turk, I may be of help to you."

Despite Aerith being the only one actually happy about Vincent's decision, he didn't need to sell himself. Zack even managed a faint version of his usual smile. "Great. We can use all the help we can get."

*7*7*

"NO! No way! Not happening!"

"You don't got a say in this, brat. If ya don't like it, then leave."

Yuffie pointed at Vincent, quivering in barely suppressed fear, shock, disbelief, and any number of emotions one might care to name. "You... You'd leave me behind for a VAMPIRE?"

"I am not a vampire."

"If the pointy shoe fits..."

"ENOUGH!"

The room fell silent except for the faint shifting of plaster knocked loose by Zack's yell. Even Yuffie remained still and focused on their normally casual leader.

Zack took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Right. It's been a long day of fighting monsters and searching through the nastiest place I never wanted to visit. We could probably all do with some rest and food. And, no, as much as I'd like to, we cannot go to the inn."

"Awwww! Why not?" Yuffie could express the frustration that no one else wanted to.

Kunsel glared at her. "What part of 'fugitive' don't you get?"

"The part where we have to sleep outside when there's a perfectly good inn right over there!"

"We can't sleep outside, either." Cloud's soft voice demanded attention in a way perhaps only Vincent could surpass. "Mt. Nibel is bad enough during the day, you don't want to be near it at night without shelter."

Yuffie's eyes widened until Kunsel was surprised they didn't pop out of her head. "You mean we're sleeping HERE? With all the creepy old junk and stuff?"

"Once we finish clearing the above ground levels of monsters, there shouldn't be anything to worry about," Nanaki said.

Barret snorted. "I dun' like the idea of spendin' the night here, but it's better 'en nothin', so let's get to work."

*7*7*

Clearing the mansion took little time, as they closed off the areas they weren't going to use. The one problem was figuring out sleeping arrangements. There were only two bedrooms, each at opposite ends of the mansion. While everyone agreed that the girls should have a separate room, the guys were adamant against sleeping so far away. The other problem was that one of the bedrooms held the door to the basement, a definite security risk.

While the rest of the team debated, Cloud went to the bedroom with the secret passage and started disassembling the bed.

Tifa noticed what he was doing first. "Cloud? What are you doing?"

Cloud looked away, like a child caught doing something he shouldn't. "I thought, maybe, each of you should get a bed."

"You were going to... move this bed to the other room?"

Cloud nodded, still facing away from her.

"That's... sweet. But it doesn't solve the problem."

"If you were in that room, I'd sleep in the hall, no matter where anyone else slept. I mean, you as in the girls." His face remained hidden, but Tifa could see a bit of red creeping along the back of his neck.

Tifa smiled. "That's a good idea. Why didn't you mention it? I'm sure everyone would agree and you could get help moving the bed."

Cloud shook his head. "I don't need any help." To prove his point, he tucked the box spring under his arm as far as it would go and dragged it out the door. He obviously had no trouble lifting it, but the awkward shape and size meant it banged and scraped against everything along the way.

Tifa heard Zack laughing in the hall and then voices from the other members of their little group. Soon Barret appeared and took the frame pieces away. Then Kunsel and Vincent came to take the mattress. Aerith and Yuffie came next to gather up the bedclothes. Yuffie tossed the moth-eaten comforter at Tifa.

"Don't just stand there! Cloud has this great idea! I mean, it's not so great for the guys, but who cares as long as we have warm beds?"

Tifa smiled. It was amazing how quickly everyone listened to his ideas when he spent so much time doubting himself.

*7*7*

Amazing what a little laughter could do to a place. Between Yuffie's animated retellings of her adventures, and Zack protesting her depiction of him, the mansion seemed a lot lighter.

Tifa slid next to Cloud. "I was wondering if you wanted me to help you with martial arts. Of course, Zack suggested it, so I don't know if he was serious or if you'd even want to, so..."

"That sounds good."

Cloud didn't look directly at her as he stood up. Tifa blinked a few times before following. The group had gathered in the foyer, so Cloud and Tifa went into the dining room where they wouldn't have to clear as much space.

"First we should work on your stance. Start off like this." Tifa stood too Cloud's side, her feet planted firmly below her shoulders.

Cloud copied her movements.

"Good. You're feet are a little wide, though."

He nodded and moved them.

Soon she found that the impression she had during the fight earlier hadn't been wrong. He learned fast. Almost everything she showed him he could repeat back exactly. It almost made her jealous. After all, she had been Zangan's top student, and she had taken months to pick up what Cloud got in less than an hour.

_Of course, he already knows swordsmanship. There's probably some overlap._

"That's good." Tifa tore herself out of her thoughts and back to the training. "Let's work on getting out of holds next."

"Hmm?"

"Here, I'll show you. Stand behind me with your arm across me shoulders like... this." She nearly forgot what she was saying as she felt Cloud's arm wrap around her. His chest pressed against her back, and while she hadn't thought it possible, his muscles seemed harder and a bit larger than they had at Junon just a week ago.

"Now what?" His voice so close to her ear nearly made her jump.

"Oh. To get out of this hold you grab the person's arm like this." She was starting to have doubts that she could, his forearm felt like an iron bar. "Then lower your stance and... flip!" The motion took more effort than usual, Cloud was heavier than he looked, but he went sailing over her shoulder and flat onto the ground.

He blinked up at her. Such an innocent, confused expression, Tifa couldn't help but laugh a little. "All right. Now it's your turn."

"You... want me to do that to you?" Cloud rolled onto his shoulders before launching into a crouch. "I don't think I can do that."

Tifa put her fists on her hips. "Of course you can. You've done everything else so far perfectly."

Cloud looked at the floor where he had landed. "No. I mean, I might... hurt you."

Her face softened. "You won't hurt me, Cloud. Martial arts students train like this all the time." Not that any of Zangan's students had been SOLDIER, but she didn't say that.

A moment's pause and Cloud relented. This time it was his turn to feel his brain slide away from him as Tifa's ample breasts squished against his back.

"Cloud?"

"Oh. Right." He grabbed her arm and tossed her over his shoulder. For a moment he had this horrible image of her crashing head-first into the floor. He hesitated and lost his balance.

The next moment he was on his hands and knees, his face hovering mere inches from Tifa's. He wondered if his face was as red as hers. If her lips were as soft as they looked.

"Sorry." He slid away as quickly as possible. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't. He didn't know why he couldn't, just that he was scared, terrified, of what might happen next.

Tifa sat up, still flushed. "It's, it's fine. And you were wrong, you didn't hurt me at all." She looked at him, staring at the floor, the parts of his face that she could see bright red. "You learned a lot for one session, so this would be a good time to see how everyone else is doing."

"Yeah. That's a great idea."

* * *

_There are two scenes in this chapter that I have been wanting to write for ages. The first being where Zack punches Sephiroth in the face. The second being this last one. I imagine it must be awkward trying to spar with someone you're attracted to. (And this wasn't even full sparring.) By the by, that bit Tifa was teaching Cloud at the end is an actual judo move. Or jujitsu, anyway. I took a class a few years ago from this guy who used to be a marine but was forced to retire when he started running out of parts that could be easily replaced. The man was walking, talking awesome in a short, middle-aged body. (Helped that this short, middle-aged man could toss around guys twice his size in the time it took to blink.)_


	41. Dark Mountain

**Chapter Forty - Dark Mountain**

Zack couldn't stop grinning. Even though Zack usually smiled, the way he was smiling this time made Cloud uneasy. Finally, once the girls were settled in their room, Zack grabbed him and gave him a SOLDIER size noogie.

"Zack? What are you...?"

"Have fun training with Tifa?"

Cloud blinked. "Fun?"

"Yeah. Come on, you were back there for over an hour. Alone. With Tifa."

His meaning finally got through. Groaning, Cloud slumped against the wall. "Zack, we're not... It's... We're... just friends."

"Is that how you feel or how she feels?" Zack sat down next to Cloud.

"... I don't know."

Zack cocked his head to one side. "Okay, now I'm confused. How do you not know?"

Cloud shrugged. "There's a lot going on right now."

"Fair enough." Zack leaned back. "Anything I can help with?"

"Probably not."

They sat like that for a while before Zack spoke again. "At least Yuffie stopped complaining about Vincent joining the team."

"Probably because he knew where some materia was kept."

"Ha. Yeah, that helped. So, I have first watch. You better get some sleep before tomorrow."

"Hmm. Hey, Zack?"

"Yeah?"

Cloud scratched the back of his head. "Uh, I was thinking maybe you should teach me martial arts. It might be less... awkward."

Zack snorted. "Naw, I don't know enough to teach anyone. Tifa's much better qualified."

*7*7*

"Ugh. Couldn't we at least go into town to get your hair fixed? It looks like someone took an ax to it."

Tifa frowned at Yuffie. "It was a sword, and do you have to remind me?"

Yuffie bounced on her bed. "What was that about, anyway? I didn't get a chance to ask before tall, dark, and spooky showed up."

Tifa looked to Aerith, hoping that the flower girl would spare her the necessity of relating events. Aerith just smiled. "A bat got stuck in my hair. Kunsel had to cut it out."

"Kunsel? Why not Cloud?"

"Cloud was..." Cloud hadn't even commented on the haircut. "Why does it matter, anyway? What's done is done and there's nothing we can do about it!"

"Wow. Okay, fine. Just asking."

Tifa slipped under the covers of her bed. She felt a little bad for snapping at Yuffie, but too tired to try to apologize.

Aerith had the bed on the other side of Yuffie. "Do you miss home?"

Yuffie turned over. "Huh?"

"From your stories, it seems you've been away from home for a long time. Do you miss it?"

"Not really." Yuffie shrugged, then folded her hands behind her head. She stared at the ceiling for a while before continuing. "It's not the same, anyway, not since the war. It's like everyone's turned into such big cowards. Dad always talks about customs and traditions, like they mean something now. But they don't. Everything that made Wutai great's been turned into attractions to lure tourists. A lot of people don't even believe in Leviathan or Da-Chao anymore. They sell little plastic statues of them at the hot springs! It makes me sick!"

"Hmm. Is that why you keep trying to steal our materia?"

"Hey! What do you mean, 'trying'?" Yuffie sat up. "If I was really trying, I'd have stolen it, no question. I'm just along because it seems like fun." She flopped back on her bed, ignoring Aerith's giggles.

"Of course. And I'm glad. This journey wouldn't be half as much fun without you."

For a little while, Aerith thought Yuffie might have fallen asleep. Then she spoke. "Hey, Aerith, uh, you know, I'll never steal your materia."

*7*7*

_Drifting..._

_Do you hear it?_

_Don't listen. It's..._

_... stronger than that..._

_Wake up._

*7*7*

"Gawds. And I thought the mansion was spooky."

Kunsel called down from where he'd been scouting the trail. "It gets pretty steep up ahead! We're going to have to be extra careful!"

"It really hasn't changed much." Tifa wrapped her arms around herself.

The grey mountain trail led them past grey cliffs and grey spires. Grey rock lined every surface as far as the eye could see. Above them, grey clouds rolled.

Aerith walked close to Zack. "There really isn't anything living here."

"No plants," Cloud said. "There are plenty of monsters."

Zack glanced up. "Speaking of which..."

Barret swore as the sonic speed swooped down on them. He and Vincent shot at the bird-like monster as the others ran for the trail leading further up the mountain. Yuffie started to make her way to the front when Kunsel shoved her into a crack between two rocks.

"What's that ...?" Before Yuffie could pull herself out of the hiding place a kyuvildun hit the rock by her head.

Two more of the over-sized insects attacked Cloud, who alternated between swinging his sword and firing off blizzard spells.

He almost didn't see a third attack Tifa.

As he charged up another spell, Tifa punched the kyuvildun away.

"Stomp it, now!" Cait yelled. His moogle lumbered over to the monster. Before the kyuvildun could right itself, the moogle jumped on it. Bug guts splattered over everything.

"EEeeeew!" Yuffie shook her left arm. "Can't you find some other way to squash bugs?"

"And I suppose you could do better?" If Cait was trying to look stern, it failed spectacularly.

"I sure could if someone hadn't gotten in my way!"

Kunsel looked at her in shock. "Wha... You were running straight at them! I bet you didn't even know they were there until after I pushed you out of the way!"

"Who cares!" Barret yelled. "I jes' want offa this mountain 'afore sundown."

Zack nodded. "Barret's right. We can work on coordinating our attacks after we reach the other side."

They continued trudging up the bleak paths until a familiar ravine cut across their path. Rising up to the cliff on the other side swayed a wood and rope bridge.

"Wow. They even rebuilt this." Zack poked one of the support beams. "It's a lot sturdier than the last one, too."

Kunsel nodded. "Whatever else you can say about ShinRa, they build stuff to last."

Cloud eyed the bridge with no small amount of apprehension. As Zack lead them across, he stayed much closer to Tifa than he had ever been comfortable. He remained close enough so their elbows nearly bumped together until both reached solid ground.

A few yards further on, the path went underground, through a set of tunnels apparently carved by ShinRa when the reactor was first installed. The tunnel they followed soon opened onto a ledge overlooking some auxiliary pumps. Catwalks and scaffolding formed paths between huge pipes that rose out of glowing pools.

"Whoa. Wouldya lookit that!" Barret leaned as far over the edge as he dared to get a better look. "Never seen mako sittin' right at the surface before."

"It's common around here." Cloud's voice remained monotone as he walked toward the nearest ladder. "We should keep moving." Too many memories. Too many that he couldn't help but feel weren't his own.

Aerith turned to Tifa. "So which way do we go?"

Tifa pointed further down the valley. "That way... Oh no."

The rest of the team followed her finger to where it pointed to a narrow rift. Laying in the path under an overhanging rock was a huge monster. It looked vaguely like a dragon, but no one could tell for sure from that distance, only that it was bigger than anything they'd seen so far.

"Oh. That doesn't look good."

Nanaki huffed as he looked sideways at Cait. "You are a master of understatement."

They were so focused on the monster before them that they almost didn't notice the dragon flying overhead until it was too late.

"Run!" Zack's order came moments before the scaffolding around them exploded into flame.

Tifa saw Aerith stumble. She reached for her but the boards under her disappeared. Hard stone rushed up to meet her as the dragon's flaming breath raced to fry her first.

She crossed her arms over her face. The air around her grew uncomfortably warm.

But she wasn't burned.

Coarse fabric rubbed against her arms and stomach. Familiar arms held her like a vice. She felt his knees bend under her as they landed.

Tifa peered through her fingers. Cloud's expression was unreadable, but she did notice that his eyes seemed to glow brighter than usual.

"Are you all right?" His voice seemed uncertain whether to sound angry or concerned.

Tifa nodded. Cloud set her gently against some rocks. He turned and leaped two stories straight up to rejoin the fight.

*7*7*

Vincent fired off several shots while Yuffie caught her shuriken in a backflip. Zack helped Aerith to her feet while shielding her in case the dragon used flamethrower again.

The moment Aerith cast cura, a flaming blue blur shot out of a hole near the dragon's left thigh.

Cloud buried his sword up to the hilt in the dragon's side and ran up, leaving a gaping wound and a fine mist of spirit energy in his wake.

The dragon roared in pain, smashing the remains of the scaffolding it stood on. Cloud landed near Kunsel and turned in time to see the dragon fall to the rocks below.

"TIFA!"

*7*7*

Tifa jumped out of the way as the huge dragon crashed in a tangled mess of metal and wood. Despite its numerous wounds, including one running the full length of its left side, it was still alive.

It stumbled toward her, its mouth open, ready to release a stream of fire.

Tifa wouldn't give it a chance.

She ran to its left, burying her fists in the tender flesh of the wound Cloud opened. As it screamed, she jumped up, dropping a kick into the joint between its body and wing.

The dragon tumbled over on its side. Though not quite dead, it was out of the fight.

Without a sound, Vincent landed next to the dragon's head. A single shot, and it was all over.

"Tifa! Are you all right?" Cloud landed in front of her, this time concern mixed with panic showed on his face.

She nodded. "I'm fine. But I think everyone else might have a little trouble getting down."

The words barely left her mouth before Zack landed a few feet behind Cloud carrying Aerith. Nanaki landed soon after, looking rather put out with Yuffie riding him like a chocobo. Kunsel landed last, carrying Cait Sith and his moogle under one arm.

"... Or not." Tifa looked up. "But what about Barret?"

Zack waved the question off. "He can climb. Ah! Okay, okay, I'll get him." He acted more like Aerith's elbow jab tickled than hurt.

Finally, the entire team stood together. Barret leaned against one of the rock spires scattered along the valley floor. "Phew! M'be we should rest here a while 'afore goin' on."

"What happened to wanting to get off the mountain before dark?" Zack grinned as he wrapped an arm around Aerith.

"That was before we hadda fight a _dragon_. And we've still got that whateveritis blockin' the path to deal wit'."

"You're tired?" Zack's grin widened as he started doing squats. "Come on, the fight wasn't that hard."

"Fer you, m'be. Not all o' us are SOLDIER." Barret glared at Zack.

"Okay, so those of us who are will fight the monster. Shouldn't be a problem." Zack took a few steps before turning and looking at Cloud. "Hey, aren't you coming?"

Cloud blinked a few times before answering. "Uh, yeah."

As Cloud walked forward, Zack ruffled his hair. "I'd think you'd be used to being called SOLDIER by now."

"Wait!" Tifa ran up to them. "I want to help, too!"

"No, Tifa." Cloud shook his head. "It's too dangerous."

Aerith stood next to Tifa, smiling. "You say that a lot, but she's still here. And so am I."

"We're all here," Nanaki said, padding up to Aerith's other side.

Kunsel stepped in front of the eager supporters. "You're also tired. Barret's right on that point. Hell, _I'm_ a little winded. So if you really want to help, stay back and if things start going south then you can help." He looked over his shoulder at Zack. "That sound like a plan?"

Zack nodded, his grin wider than usual. "Sounds like you just volunteered for backup." He gripped Kunsel's shoulder and pushed him toward the rest of the group.

"What?"

"You said you were winded, right?" Zack waved as he turned down the path leading to the monster. "Cloud and I are enough to handle this. Everyone who's tired should rest up in case there are any more monsters after this."

Vincent appeared next to him. "In that case, I will help you in this fight."

Zack didn't look convinced. "Uh, no offense or anything, but you've been asleep for nearly thirty years. Shouldn't you take it easy for a while?" He remembered how weak he felt after escaping from the lab, and that had only been four years.

Vincent remained unmoved. "It seems this body doesn't tire easily."

"Ookay... Off we go then!"

* * *

_Nibelheim is very similar to Niflheim, the primordial world of ice where Hel resides in Norse mythology. One possible (loose) translation is Cloud's Home. How very punny of Square Soft. Anyway, the word 'nifl' could also mean dark, thus the name of this chapter. And, man, no wonder Nibelheim is such a dreary, depressing place when it has __**that**__ looming over it. I half expect the mountain to get up and attack the party itself, just forget about the monsters._


	42. Revelation

**Chapter Forty-One - Revelation**

The monster was a lot bigger up close than looking down from the ledge. It was even bigger than the dragon they had fought, and looked somewhat like it might have been mutated from one. The middle set of limbs stuck up in the air as if they might have once been wings.

It was also asleep. Vincent raised his gun, aiming at the monster's head.

Zack grabbed his arm. "What are you doing?"

"It would be safer to kill the creature now before it wakes up."

"Yeah, but..." It didn't make Zack feel any better. Monster or not, it didn't seem right to kill it in its sleep.

Not that it mattered. Vincent's shot hit right between the monster's eyes, but only served as a very rude wake up call. The monster roared and charged.

"At least, _umph_, it's bleeding." Zack blocked one of the monster's claws while Cloud charged up a blizzard spell.

Vincent made no comment, focusing instead on aiming for whatever spots seemed the most vulnerable.

They had made little progress when the monster opened its mouth. A ball of light shot out, crackling as it grew. Zack felt his hair stand on end, more on end, just before the pain hit. Some sort of lightning attack. A powerful one, too. They had to end this quickly.

Zack looked around. Vincent was still firing from a distance, but Cloud had abandoned spells in favor of sword strikes.

"Cloud! Withdraw!" Zack didn't wait to see if Cloud obeyed, military training made following orders almost an instinct. Instead, he touched the summon materia in the buster sword.

The ground in front of him shook and rose up as if boiling from within. Cracks formed and a brown giant burst forth. The monster eyed the new arrival warily as the giant plunged his hands into the stone path. The ground shattered, spears of rock plunged deep into the monsters body. Even as the monster screamed in surprise and pain, the summon vanished.

The monster's scream was cut short as a bullet penetrated the roof of its mouth and entered its brain.

Cloud ran up to Zack when he saw his friend lean on his sword. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Zack straightened and sheathed his sword. "That monster was a little harder than I thought it would be."

"Zack!" Aerith ran down the path, surrounded by the other members of the team. She cast cura over him, Cloud, and Vincent.

Barret cursed at the mess. "How we gonna get past _that_?"

"Give it a minute." Zack stretched out all the muscles that had moments earlier been battered and sore. Somehow, restorative spells always felt better when Aerith cast them.

"Give it a minute for what?" Yuffie said. "Its not going to get up and walk away, is it?"

Zack smiled. "Just watch. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure the path will be clear soon."

Just as he said that, parts of the monster's corpse started to glow green. Flecks of light scattered on the breeze as the monster dissolved. The odd band of wouldbe heroes stood in awe as the lights danced between and over them. A few had seen pyreflies before, but never so many so close.

Yuffie tried to catch one, but it slipped through her fingers. "Hey! Isn't this what that ghost at Cosmo Canyon turned into? And that thing in the safe, too. What is it?"

"Pyreflies." Kunsel stared up, looking almost wistful. "It's what the bodies of creatures exposed to high concentrations of mako turn into when they die."

"It's so beautiful," Aerith whispered. She turned to Kunsel. "Does that mean..."

Kunsel nodded. "SOLDIERs don't leave bodies behind to bury."

Silence descended as everyone continued to watch the pyreflies. Bits of the Lifestream returning to the planet.

"Why's ev'ryone still starin'? We gotta git offa this mountain!" Barret's booming voice shattered the mood. "Come on! Mov'it!"

*7*7*

They reached soil with living plants shortly after dusk. The warmth of healthy earth and sky made them realize just how cold they had been on the mountain. Yuffie immediately dropped her sleeping bag and declared her intention to 'sleep for a week.' No one argued, just setting up camp and deciding on shifts seemed almost too much work.

Kunsel had the second shift for watch. He made sure everyone was asleep then nudged Zack with his boot.

Zack snorted. "Whassa matter? Kun? My turn isn't after yours."

"I know. I wanted to talk to you about something."

"What?" Zack sat up, at once awake and cautious.

That response deepened Kunsel's frown. He motioned to the outside edge of the firelight. They stepped carefully, so as not to wake anyone else.

"Why didn't you use a limit break earlier?" Kunsel stood with his arms crossed. "I know you can call them up when you want, and you've been riding a break for over a day."

Zack blinked. "How do you know I'm riding a break?"

"Seriously? We could probably use your eyes as search lights."

"Oh man." Zack rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand as if that would make the glow dim. "Do you think anyone else noticed?"

"I don't know how they couldn't, but they might not know what it means. So, spill, why are you holding it in? I haven't seen you use a limit break since the ship."

Zack moved from rubbing his eyes to scratching his head. "I... have some limit breaks I'd rather Aerith didn't see."

"So? You can pick which limit breaks you use."

"That's the thing, there's one that I really don't have much control over."

Kunsel's eyes widened. "Oh. Ohhh. But what are you going to do? I've never heard of anyone riding a limit break for longer than a day or two."

"I don't know. Maybe go out by myself and fight some monsters." Zack shifted from one foot to the other before doing squats. A sure sign that he was either restless, nervous, or both.

"Hey, the reason you don't want Aerith to see your limit breaks wouldn't happen to have anything to do with one of them looking like hers, would it?"

Zack only paused for a moment before continuing with his squats. "That's... part of it."

Kunsel rubbed his face. "You're spending too much time around Cloud. You're starting to talk like him."

"Oops." Zack chuckled, though it sounded weak. "I guess I'm not used to talking about this. The last person I talked to about my limit breaks was Angeal."

"What did he say?"

Zack stopped. "Actually, not much. Something about it being a unique gift." He looked up at the sky. "I wish I could remember his exact words, now that I know more about what was going on."

"About what? Project G? The Jenova Project in general?"

"Yeah." Zack kept his eyes on the stars. "You know how I said that Jenova's power was copying? Well, I only have one limit break that's just mine. I can copy other people's limit breaks and adapt them for my own use. I don't even need to see the limit break."

"That's how you knew Cloud had more than one limit break! You copied one of them! But how do you know who you copied the limit break from if you don't see them perform it?"

Finally, Zack looked at Kunsel. "Because I hear their voices. I... I couldn't use Angeal's limit break for almost a month after... I killed him. Every time I use it I hear his voice say, 'Show me your honor.' And it's not even like I can choose who to copy limit breaks from. Sometimes it just seems to take fighting the person." He sighed. "Have you ever seen Genesis's limit break?"

"Which one? Wait. That wouldn't be the one you don't have control over, would it?"

Zack nodded. "I think he called it Apocalypse. Anyway, sometimes I'll be trying for one limit break and it'll come out instead. It's a little disturbing."

"Yeah. I bet. So what now? You can't just avoid using limit breaks all the time."

"I know. I know." Zack scratched the back of his head again. "I just really don't want anyone to see me as a monster. Especially Aerith. It was hard enough telling everyone about the Jenova cells."

Kunsel patted Zack's shoulder. "Hey, if they didn't see you as a monster after that, I don't see how some odd limit breaks are going to change things."

Zack managed to smile and returned to his sleeping bag. He didn't notice the almost glowing red eyes watching him.

*7*7*

Zack looked across the tree-dotted plain to the looming mass of a rocket sitting slightly off kilter. "Haven't they launched that yet?"

"They did, or tried to, anyway. There were problems, some attempts at sabotage and then the pilot suddenly killed the engine just as it was lifting off. I never heard why. The project was scrapped after that and the mechanics settled here in the hopes that it would start up again."

"So it's another town populated entirely by ShinRa employees," Zack said.

"Awww!" Yuffie whined. "Does that mean we have to sleep outside _again_?"

Kunsel shrugged. "I doubt ShinRa has been keeping these people in the loop as far as who the latest fugitives are, but it would be a good idea to stay... inconspicuous."

Zack chuckled at that. Three SOLDIERs, a huge black guy with a gun arm, a wolf/lion with a flaming tail, a barmaid, a flower girl, an over-active ninja, a robotic cat riding a giant moogle, and a not-vampire. No one would ever notice them.

After some argument, the decision was made that Kunsel would check out the town, then come back to let them know if it was safe to stay at the inn. Kunsel snorted at the observation that he was the most normal looking of the group.

Well, if he dressed in normal clothes and no one looked too closely at his eyes... Sure. It would look less weird than a girl or even two apparently traveling alone. He also didn't have unnaturally spiky hair. (He still couldn't believe that neither of them used gel.) And he'd know what to look for.

So he left the team near a small grove bordering the road. Almost as soon as he left, Yuffie tried to run off.

"Whoa! Where do you think you're going?" Zack caught her by the trailing ends of her headband.

"It's boring just waiting around! I'm going to look for materia!"

Zack looked back at the rest of the team. "She has a point."

"You nuts?" Barret waved the arm that didn't have a weapon attached to it at Yuffie. "She's jes' tryin' to sneak off so she can rob som'ne."

Aerith looked thoughtful. "She doesn't seem to be trying to sneak at all."

"I'm not sure she _can_ sneak," Cait added.

Nanaki nodded. "She seems rather loud for her claimed profession of ninja and thief."

Zack snorted. "You think this is bad? You should have seen her when she was nine."

"This is an improvement?" Tifa tried and failed to keep from smiling.

Yuffie's scowl deepened as the joking went on, but she exploded at Zack and Tifa's exchange. "I had you totally fooled every time! Let me go or BAM! WHAM! You'll be eating through a straw for months! Don't underestimate me! HEY! What're you doing?"

Cloud had Yuffie's left arm raised while he reached under the odd cloth and metal armor shielding that arm. When he pulled his hand out, he held two summon materia.

"YUFFIE!" The chorus was a little off time, but effective.

She stuck out her tongue. "I told you not to underestimate me."

Tifa turned to Cloud. "How did you know she had them?"

For a moment, Cloud didn't answer, just shrugged. "... I just thought... Don't stage magicians use distractions to help their tricks?"

Zack chuckled. "You remember that, huh?" At the questioning looks, he continued. "We both had leave around New Year's so we decided to hang out. There was a magic act at the Sector 8 fountain square and Cloud here was completely mesmerized. You'd think he'd never even heard of magic."

Cloud blushed and looked at the ground. "He wasn't using materia..."

Tifa and Aerith giggled, though Tifa quickly tried to control herself. It just didn't seem right. Even if everyone else seemed just as amused.

Well, everyone except Vincent. "It was a good observation." He strode over to Yuffie, right hand held out as if he expected her to give him something. "The rest of it."

"What are you talking abou..." She backed up when she saw the clawed gauntlet on his left hand twitch. Quickly, she reached into the back pocket of her shorts and tossed over a thin wallet. "Here! It's not like he's going to need it for a while, anyway."

Zack shook her head by the headband ties. "You stole Kunsel's wallet? Isn't that a little petty for you?"

"Hey! Watch it! Even someone as awesome as me has to practice, you know? I was going to give it all back! Really!"

"I'm gettin' sick o' this! We should leave her here an' move on. Let ShinRa deal wit' her."

Aerith looked horrified. "You can't do that!"

"Hmm. I don't know." Zack stroked his chin while maintaining his grip on Yuffie's head band. "A week in ShinRa's custody, and ShinRa might be ready to surrender."

"Zack!"

"I'm kidding!" Zack nearly dropped his hold on Yuffie in his haste to defend himself. "But it probably would be a good idea to keep her distracted. Monster hunting would be good training for the rest of us, too."

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here!"

"Sorry about that, squirt." Zack laughed as he hoisted Yuffie over his shoulder. "Anyone else want to come?"

Aerith smiled. "Hmm. I'd rather stay. Someone should be here when Kunsel comes back, after all."

"With Yuffie's yowling, I think the monsters will be scared away. I will remain, as well." Nanaki curled up in the shade near where Aerith stood.

Zack looked a bit torn between staying with Aerith and venting some of his excess energy on a few (hundred) monsters. His decision was made when Barret said he's stay behind, too, in order to get a few minutes of peace away from the human fire drill.

Everyone else went out into the open fields to hunt monsters. They found a couple velcher tasks, which Yuffie dubbed 'freaky puffer-faces,' but the toughest was the pack of Nibel wolves that jumped them on the way back.

It wasn't so much that the wolves were tough, there were just so many of them. Everyone was so focused on their own fight that they didn't notice one grab the back of Vincent's neck in its jaws until it was too late. Vincent went down with a strangled cry.

For a second, one long second, they thought their newest ally was dead. The Nibel wolf stood over his body, blood dripping from its fangs. Then, as if sensing something even Zack and Cloud couldn't, it let out a pitiful whine and backed away.

Dark light encased Vincent's body in whirling tendrils. As the glowing shadows cleared, a clawed hand shot out, grabbing the Nibel wolf by the throat.

No one had time to process what happened after that, since the other wolves were still attacking. All they could tell was that Vincent had somehow turned into a wolfman-like creature with horns reminiscent of behemoth.

As he tore through the remaining wolves, they just hoped he'd turn back before attacking any of them.

Finally, the last wolf fell and the dark light once again swirled around Vincent. When he emerged human and apparently unhurt, Zack spoke up.

Or, rather, yelled. "What was that? Why didn't you warn us you could turn into... whatever that was?"

Vincent glared at Zack. Though his face didn't change much, the effect was still there. "Would you tell strangers that you're a monster?"

For once, Zack was left at a loss for words. Tifa spoke up, instead. "We don't think you're a monster. I know we haven't known you very long, but you helped us. Even when you turned into... that... you still helped us."

"Yeah!" Yuffie said. "So what if you're a walking horror movie. You're still you."

Cait nodded in agreement.

Zack finally stepped forward. "You're only a monster if you believe you are."

Vincent made a somewhat noncommittal noise in the back of his throat before glancing briefly at Cloud. Without another word, he strode off toward the grove of trees where they were supposed to meet up with Kunsel.

Zack looked over at Cloud as they followed Vincent. Cloud seemed to be preoccupied with his feet.

"Hey. You okay?"

Cloud nodded. "Yeah. Just... thinking."

"About what?"

"Nothing."

Zack sighed. "Look, you can talk to me about anything, okay?"

"I know. I just... don't know how to talk about this."

"Okay. But when you figure it out, tell me." Zack looked up. "Hey! Kunsel's back!"

* * *

_And I stopped here in large part because otherwise this scene could have run on forever. So, Zack doesn't want Aerith to see him as a monster, Vincent already sees himself as a monster, and Cloud has... issues. Hoo boy. This game world needs psychiatrists badly. Any comments on my explanation of how Zack's limit breaks work? I always thought it a little creepy the way Genesis's limit break would show up. Like it was eating away at the intended limit break. And is it just me, or were those red blood cells in the background of the DMW screen?_


	43. Dreams of Flying

**Chapter Forty-Two - Dreams of Flying**

"Cloud, let's steal it! I love stealing from ShinRa!"

Cloud looked down at Yuffie. "You love... stealing."

A little further down the fence, Zack snickered. "He's got you there. Besides, shouldn't you be asking me if we can steal it?"

Kunsel hid his eyes behind his hand. "We're not stealing it. I told you. Shera, the lady who lives here, said we can talk to the Captain about borrowing it."

They went back to looking at the small airplane with 'Tiny Bronco' painted on the side.

"So what're we waitin' for?"

Zack pushed away from the fence. "Morning. It's already sunset and this could be the last night in a building we get for a long time."

"Warm bed! Soft pillows!" Yuffie spun around. "Let's go!"

*7*7*

Zack looked up at the tilting rocket. "How does it stay up like that?"

"Don't know." Cloud glanced back toward the town. "Shouldn't we hurry up before Rufus gets here?"

"Do executives even get up before six? Still, good point."

They climbed the ladders up to the main hatch. Inside they found a man in a blue flight jacket and green pants checking something inside a wall panel.

The man barely glanced at them before returning to what he was doing. "What're you guys doin' here?" The question sounded less like an invitation and more like he was telling them to get out.

"We heard the Captain was here," Zack said.

The man turned around, a nearly spent cigarette hung out of his mouth as he laughed. "Captain? I'm the Captain! The name's Cid, Everyone calls me 'Captain,' though. What d'ya want?"

Cloud and Zack glanced at each other before Zack continued. "Um, could you tell us about this rocket? It looks pretty cool."

Cid grinned. "Wow! Not bad for a kid. Alright then, I'll explain it to ya." He took a cigarette out of the pack strapped to his goggles and lit it from the embers of his last one. "You know ShinRa developed a lot of technological gadgets during the meaningless war, right? Now it's a mako company, but in the old days it was a weapons manufacturer."

They nodded, so Cid went on.

"Well, they came up with a rocket engine. There was so much excitement about the thought of going into outer space. Our dreams got bigger and bigger. They put a major budget into it and made prototype after prototype! Finally, they completed ShinRa No. 26." Cid patted the wall of the rocket. "They chose the best pilot in ShinRa-no, in the world-me. I mean, come on."

"No ego problems here," Zack whispered low enough so Cid couldn't hear. Cloud had to stiffle a snort.

Cid turned to the wall, suddenly not quite so boisterous. "And finally we get to the day of the launch. Everything was going well..." He kicked the wall. "But, because of that dumb-ass Shera, the launch got messed up. That's why they became so anal!"

Zack cocked his head. "Really? I heard there was sabotage or something."

"Yeah, yeah, I took care of that. It didn't affect the launch at all. It was Shera's ass draggin' that screwed things up. Because of that, ShinRa nixed their outer space exploration plans. After they told me how the future was space exploration and got my damn hopes up... DAMN THEM!" He kicked the wall again. "Then mako turned out to be so profitable and they didn't even look at space again. Money, moola, dinero! My dream was just a financial number for them! Look at this busted rocket. I was supposed to be the first man in space with this."

Honestly, Zack sympathized. After all of Angeal's speeches on dreams and honor, he couldn't help but. Still, it seemed a little unfair to put all the blame on Shera.

Once Cid finished with his rant, Zack cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. Anyway, we were kind of wondering if we could borrow the 'Tiny Bronco.'"

Cid spun around to glare at them. "You out of your *&$^$# mind! That's my most cherished possession. I can't let you take it."

"Okay! We were just asking." Zack backed out the hatch along with Cloud. Once on the ground he heaved a sigh. "Well, so much for that idea. Better head over to Shera's to let everyone know."

*7*7*

Apparently, 'everyone' was Yuffie and Cait. They were sitting on the front stoop looking a little put out.

Hey," Zack said, "where is everyone?"

"Gettin' ready to leave." Cait pointed at Yuffie. "I got stuck babysittin'."

"Why does everyone treat me like a kid? I'm the greatest ninja in the world!"

"Sure, Yuffie." Zack ruffled her hair, ignoring the attempted death glare she aimed at him. "Well, as long as we're here, we might as well stop in and say hi."

*7*7*

Reno stretched his arms up as far as they could go in the confines of the helicopter. If Rude was at all nervous about his partner steering with his knees, he didn't show it.

"Man, finally. Between Hojo's cackling and Heidegger's horse-laugh I was about to go nuts!"

Elena's voice crackled over the intercom between the cockpit and the passenger section. "What is the boss thinking, giving us leave in the middle of a crisis? We should be helping!"

"Are you questioning orders, _trainee_?" Reno grinned, somewhat ruining the stern tone he tried to use.

"N-no! Of course not!"

"Good. Just sit back and try to enjoy yourself. ETA is half an hour."

*7*7*

Shera stepped into the kitchen to see the two young men who said they were friends of Kunsel standing with a girl and a... robot?

"Excuse me... Zack?"

The dark haired young man looked up and smiled. "Hey, how are you doing?"

"All right. Did the Captain say anything?"

Zack scratched the back of his head. "Yeah. Nothing that was any help, though."

"Oh. I see."

At that moment the front door swung open and Cid stormed in. He nearly jumped when he saw the crowd.

"^%$#! Shera. What are you, blind! We got guests! GET SOME TEA! ^%$#!"

Shera ducked past Cloud and Yuffie on her way to the stove. "I... I'm sorry."

"You don't have to..." Cloud started.

Cid chopped the air horizontally. "Shut up! Sit your ass down in that chair and drink your &^%^# TEA!" He growled as he lit another cigarette. "DAMN, I'm pissed! Shera! I'll be in the backyard tunin' up Tiny Bronco!" With that he pushed past Zack and left out the back door.

Cait made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a whistle. "Man, he sure seems wound up tight."

"Yeah." Zack frowned. "And I thought he was surly at the rocket."

Cloud turned to Shera. "Sorry. It's our fault."

"No, no." Shera looked up from the kettle. "He's always like this."

"What's his prob! I'm gonna go clean that guy's clock!" Yuffie demonstrated her intent with a few practice punches.

Shera shook her head. "No... It's because of my stupid mistake. I was the one who destroyed his dream."

"You think so, too, huh?" Zack set his sword against the wall near a long spear and took a seat at the dining table. "What happened?"

Shera wrung her hands. "I was slow. The new oxygen tanks were hooked up and everything should have been fine. But something worried me. Even though Cid told me to hurry up and get it done, I wanted to be sure of the readings. Even while everyone was prepping for launch, I stayed on board to make sure. I was just starting the tests on tank eight when they started the count down. Cid knew I was there, he waited until the very last second, but... I couldn't finish fast enough. He pushed the Emergency Engine Shut Down switch, aborting the mission, to save my life." She looked down at the floor. "After that, the Space Program was cut back and the launch was canceled. It's my fault his dream was destroyed..."

Zack opened his mouth to object, but Shera continued. "That's why... it's all right. I don't care what the Captain says, I'll live my life for him."

Again, Cid burst into the house. "Shera! You still haven't served 'em tea!"

"I... I'm sorry."

While Shera busied herself with the tea, Cid crashed in a chair across the table from Zack. He looked at Yuffie and Cloud and scowled.

"Hurry up and sit down! Or ain't my hospitality good enough for you!" Cid tapped his foot a few times. "They're late... Where's Rufus?"

Cloud and Zack blanched. Late? ShinRa was supposed to be here now? The others! They had to warn them!

Before they could act, the front door opened. A fat man with a childish expression and balding head waddled in. Zack didn't recognize him, but he thought the man was probably with ShinRa from the fancy suit.

"Hey-HEY!" The man looked like a wobble toy as he rocked back and forth. "Long time no see! So Cid, how ya been?"

Cid jumped to his feet. Zack had to hand it to him, few people could grin and look angry at the same time.

"Well, if it ain't fat man, Palmer. How long were you figurin' on keepin' me waitin'!" Cid ran up to the man, Palmer. "So? When's the Space Program gonna start up again?"

Palmer went from looking like a wobble toy to a child who had to use the bathroom. "Hey-hey! I don't know. The President's outside, so why don't you ask him?"

"^$#&! Good for nothing, fat &$#$^!" Cid grabbed the spear leaning against the wall and ran out.

"Don't say 'fat'!" Palmer whined. He waddled over the Shera and looked over her shoulder. "Hey-hey! Tea! Can I have some too? With lotsa sugar and honey and... oh yeah, don't forget the lard!"

Yuffie looked rather green as they slipped out the back. "THAT runs part of ShinRa? That's it. You guys cheated. There's no way you could have won the war otherwise."

"There's a way to cheat at war?" Zack motioned for everyone to duck behind the bushes along the side of the house. "Okay, listen up. Rufus is out front with some guards. I want you to stay here and keep an eye on the situation while I head back to the inn and get the others."

"No, Zack. I'll go. I'm smaller so I won't be seen as easily."

Zack gripped Cloud's shoulder. "That's exactly why I need you to stay here. It'll be too hard for me to stay hidden like this. Don't worry. I was able to get into the excavation site at Modeoheim without being seen, remember?"

"Hmm. Sort of."

"It'll be fine. Just stay low." A blur of movement and Zack was gone.

Cloud had little time to think. Almost as soon as Zack left, he felt a sharp knee dig into his spine. Yuffie climbed over his back. Her fingers clung to his hair as she leaned forward.

"What are you doing?"

"Keeping an eye on things, duh. Wow. Your hair is really fluffy. Did you know that?"

"Git down, lass. Yer gonna get us seen."

"And that over-stuffed moogle of yours won't?" Still, Yuffie slid off Cloud's shoulders.

Cloud tried to return his hair to some semblance of order. "Thanks. What's happening out there?"

"Not sure. The old guy was yelling at Rufus. Maybe you can hear what they're saying."

"Maybe." He shuffled forward, but stopped when he heard someone walk up to the front corner of the house. He grabbed his sword while motioning for Yuffie and Cait to stay down.

Shera peeked around the corner. "There you are. Excuse me... Cloud, right?"

He nodded.

Shera glanced back at the argument down the street then at Cloud. "This way..."

He hesitated for a moment, but followed Shera back into the house along with Yuffie and Cait.

There, Shera closed the door carefully before facing them. "You wanted to use the Tiny Bronco, right?"

Cloud nodded.

For the first time since they met, Shera smiled. "I believe Palmer's going to take it. Why don't you talk to him?"

Yuffie lit up with a devilish grin. "Sure! We'll 'talk' to him! Right, Cloud?"

It took a little time for the meaning to sink in. A quiet chuckle marked his realization.

*7*7*

Kunsel glanced through the window of the inn's main room. "Wonderful. Looks like we'll have to look for a back way out of here."

"Already have that covered."

The rest of the team spun around at Zack's voice.

"Damn! Yer almost as bad as the spook." Barret thumbed toward Vincent, who narrowed his eyes at the larger man. An unusual display of emotion.

Zack grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment. So, how are things looking out front?"

Kunsel chanced another look through the window. "Like Rufus really should be more concerned about that guy with the spear. Though I guess with as nervous as his guards look, maybe he should be more concerned about itchy trigger fingers."

"As long as they're occupied. I didn't see anyone else on my way over, so it should be safe slipping out the back."

"But what about Cloud?" Tifa said. "And Yuffie and Cait are at Shera's."

"I know. Cloud's with them so they'll be fine, at least for now. Come on." Zack led them out the way he came. Once outside he looked over toward Shera's place. "Do you guys hear that?"

Tifa and Aerith shook their heads.

Barret pushed forward. "Hear what? I thought we was in a hurry!"

"It sounds like an engine," Nanaki said.

Kunsel nodded. "I think someone's trying to start the Tiny Bronco."

"Oh no. Yuffie better not be trying to steal it."

Vincent strode into Zack's path. "I will investigate. You get everyone to safety."

"Uh, right. Come on!"

Even as they ran, the noise grew in volume until the entire town could hear it.

*7*7*

Cloud almost felt sorry for fighting Palmer, even if the deranged man-child had fired first. Still, getting hauled away by panic-stricken grunts after bouncing off the front fender of their truck seemed rather fitting for the tub of lard.

Yuffie's shriek broke him out of that musing. "It's not stopping!"

Oh yeah, Palmer left the plane running. What kind of idiot...

"Forget it! Get in!" Cloud ran after the runaway aircraft, Yuffie close on his heels. Both managed to jump on.

Cait, on the other hand, simply couldn't get his mechanical moogle to waddle fast enough.

Some careful rattling of the door handle and it came open. Once inside, Cloud had a moment to marvel that he hadn't ripped the door off entirely.

Just before he saw who else crouched in the space.

"Vincent? What are you doing here?"

"Attempting to make sure we don't crash."

"While you're at it, can you see about landing? Urk." Yuffie found a corner near the back to curl up in.

Cloud looked from Vincent to the controls before them. "Do you know how to fly a plane?"

"... No."

"Great." Cloud groaned as the plane pitched.

"I do know how to fly a helicopter. There is some overlap."

"SO FLY IT ALREADY!"

Zack would have wanted to be there, and Yuffie would have wanted a camera, if either had seen the brief flicker of surprise cross Vincent's face at Cloud's outburst.

"That requires unlocking the flight wheel, which I am working on now. ... Done."

"Oh." More than a little abashed, Cloud sank into the co-pilot's seat. Just in time, he remembered to remove his sword.

He barely got settled before the door banged open. "WHAT THE HELL'RE YOU DOIN' WITH MY PLANE!"

Yuffie groaned from the back. "Keep it down. Some of us are trying to die in peace."

Cloud tried to answer, but Cid was already dragging Vincent out of the pilot's seat. Zack would have loved to see this.

All thoughts went to what he had for breakfast as the plane rattled. Something whistled nearby. Correction, several somethings, including a particularly low, loud one that stayed stationary in relation to the plane's occupants.

"^&*$! The tail's been hit!"

Between the cigarette smoke, the constant shaking, and the looming mass of blue outside, Cloud couldn't see things getting much worse.

Cid, on the other hand, seemed as close to calm as any of them had seen him. "This's gonna be a big splash. Hold onto your drawers and don't piss in 'em!" Whatever war he'd been waging with the controls paid off as the nose tilted up moments before they hit the waves.

* * *

_Normally, I go with (roughly) eight screens in WordPad per chapter. I let this one go a little longer because if I went with eight screens the next chapter would have started with the aftermath of the fight with Palmer. That seemed like a poor way to start a chapter, so I went with ending things with the crash into the ocean. It's a much better ending and means the next chapter will start on a much better note._

_As for why I skipped out on writing this boss fight when I normally show such things... you have to ask? Jeez, never mind putting this blob in a position of authority, what maniac gave this sad excuse for a human being a __**weapon**__?_


	44. All According To Plan

_A little later in the day than I like, but I had to rush to work this morning._

* * *

**Chapter Forty-Three - All According To Plan**

"Sir!" The trooper who drew the short straw saluted as best he could while quaking in his boots. "I regret to report that the fugitives escaped!"

Rufus Shinra didn't move his eyes from the horizon. "So it would seem. And Palmer?"

"He, uh, seems to have been hit by a truck, sir."

"He's dead?"

The poor trooper wondered if he was supposed to keep saluting or if he could stand down. "No, sir. He needs a few bones set, but once that's done all he needs is a hi-potion, maybe a few cure spells."

"Hmm. Pity." Rufus spun on his heal, still without looking at the trooper, and strode back toward the helicopter pad just outside the town. "Inform Palmer that he is to remain here until further notice, in case AVALANCHE decides to come back. Don't bother assigning any guards, I'll have the Turks handle the details of his stay. Collect your squad and report for departure. Oh, yes." He stopped and raised his right hand in what might have been a wave or a salute. "At ease."

*7*7*

With the inside of the Tiny Bronco rather damp from the crash, everyone, including Vincent, moved to the upper hull and wings. Cid dug out a tool box and leaned out over the tail so far Cloud worried he might fall in.

Cid almost sounded dejected when he pulled himself back up. "She won't fly anymore."

"Can't we use it as a boat?" Cloud hoped the answer was yes. He was doing alright in the fresh air, but Yuffie was looking pale.

"$#&%! Do whatever you want!" Cid pulled out a cigarette and glared at it when he realized he didn't have anything to light it with there.

Cloud looked back at Vincent and Yuffie, each closed off from the outside world, though likely for quite different reasons. He sighed. "Cid, what are you going to do now?"

As abrasive and unpleasant as the pilot could be, Cloud felt a little responsible for tearing his life apart again.

Cid looked back down at the ruined ailerons. "Dunno. I'm history with ShinRa and I've given up on the town."

"How 'bout your wife? How 'bout Shera?"

"Wife?" Cid nearly choked on the cigarette he was chewing on. "Don't make me laugh! Just thinkin' 'bout marryin' her gives me the chills." He paused for a moment then continued. "What're you guys gonna do?"

Cloud hugged his knees and looked out at the ocean. "We're going after a man named Sephiroth. We'll have to get Rufus Shinra someday too. And Hojo." He looked out the corner of his eye at Vincent, but the older man didn't seem to be listening.

"I don't know about any of that, but..." Cid grinned. "What the hell! Sign me up!"

That was unexpected, but never check a gift chocobo's crest. "How 'bout it, everyone?"

Vincent barely looked back. "... Do whatever you like."

Yuffie didn't respond. Probably for the best.

Cid gave Cloud a mock salute. "Glad to be aboard, numbskulls!"

"Numbskulls?" Cloud frowned, more out of confusion than offense.

"Yeah. Anyone stupid enough to go up against ShinRa nowadays, has _gotta_ be a numbskull! I like it!" Cid stood and stepped over to the wing over the door. "So, where we headed? Rufus was goin' after Sephiroth towards the Temple of the Ancients."

Cloud perked up at that. "Really! ...Where is it? That Temple of the Ancients?"

Cid shrugged. "Dunno. That numbskull kid was tellin' me he was headin 'the wrong direction'... so maybe it's off this way?" He gestured to the west and south.

That didn't narrow things down much. And ran counter to what Sephiroth had told them. Not that Sephiroth or ShinRa were reliable sources of information. "Let's just head for land and get some information." Cloud's brain itched. "Temple of the Ancients... that name bothers me."

Yuffie took that moment to spring to life. "... Hm. How 'bout goin' west? No, no reason. No reason at all!"

"We didn't say anythin'. Crazy kid." Cid swung himself back into the plane.

*7*7*

"Looks like we made it out okay." Zack looked around at the somewhat truncated team.

Tifa shifted uneasily. "Most of us, anyway."

Kunsel watched the spot in the sky where the Tiny Bronco disappeared. "Cait, you're sure Cloud and Yuffie got on the plane?"

"Of course I'm sure! I saw it with my own eyes!"

"Okay. It's just a little strange. ShinRa doesn't seem to be in a hurry to go after them."

Zack nodded. "They aren't going after us, either."

"Maybe we aren't a priority for them right now." Aerith looked in the direction of the town, but her eyes seemed to be focused on something much further away.

Barret hmphed. "What? You fig're they're chasin' after Sephiroth, too?"

"That could explain why Rufus is here." Kunsel turned back to the group. "Avenging his father's death, and all that. Though it still doesn't seem quite in character."

"Whatever the reason," Zack said, "that doesn't change the fact that we have to find Cloud and Yuffie."

"And Vincent." Nanaki finally spoke. "Though he may be with them."

"Why are we still talking about this!" Tifa shook. "We have to find them! They could have crashed, or..."

What else Tifa thought might have happened was interrupted by Zack's phone trying to vibrate out of his pocket.

Zack grinned. "That's probably them, now. Hey. Zack speaking." He nodded and grinned wider. "You have the best timing. Tifa was about to mount a rescue mission. Uh huh. Hang on, I'll put you on speaker." The press of bodies trying to catch what Cloud was saying was getting a bit much even for Zack. "Okay, now what was that?"

_"Cid wants to join us."_

"Cid's with you?"

"Who the hell's Cid?"

Zack looked over his shoulder at Barret. "'The Captain.' The guy we were trying to borrow the Tiny Bronco from."

"I guess that means we get the plane, too." Kunsel leaned toward the phone. "Hey, Cloud, is Vincent with you, too?"

_"Yeah. Yuffie's here, too. She suggested we try going west."_

"Huh." Kunsel looked over at Zack, but Barret got his opinion out first.

"I dun' trust her!"

"No, really?" Zack turned back to his phone. "Where are you?"

_"... Somewhere in the middle of the ocean?"_

All three human males groaned. Nanaki laid a paw across his muzzle and Cait face-planted on his moogle.

_"Cid could give you coordinates."_ Cloud sounded annoyed, so he probably heard the response. _"It'll take maybe a day to get to Wutai. We're closer to Rocket Town, but I think this is a good idea."_

"Oh?" Zack said. "What's the intel?"

_"Something about a 'Temple of the Ancients.' Apparently, ShinRa thinks Sephiroth is trying to find it."_

"And you think it's in Wutai?"

_"... No idea. But we might as well look."_

Zack nodded. "Right. We'll find a boat or something and meet up with you there."

"No, wait." Kunsel pushed closer to Zack so he didn't have to lean over half the remaining team to reach the phone. "You don't have any idea where this temple is, right?"

Extra long pause this time. _"No. Just that Rufus told Cid they were 'going the wrong way.'"_

"That doesn't say much." Kunsel looked up as if hoping to find an answer written on the underside of a tree branch. "'Go north,' he says. There's not much else north of here except the Northern Continent, and most of that is under a glacier. Right. Cloud, I think your team should go to Wutai, find out if anyone there knows about something that could be a temple. The rest of us will..." He looked over at Zack. "If I have permission from our leader."

Zack laughed. "Like I have any better ideas."

"The rest of us will retrace our steps. Sephiroth may have been trying to lead us away from something rather than toward."

"Ya mean we gotta cross that damn mountain again?"

Some muttering came through the phone before Cloud spoke again. _"Cid says there's a village by the coast where you can get a ferry to Hel."_

The reactions to that were, putting it mildly, varied. Zack laughed, Aerith gasped, Nanaki did what on a human would have been a raised eyebrow, Cait made an attempt at looking indignant, Barret yelled, Kunsel plugged his ears, and Tifa shook her head.

From the other end of the line, Cloud's voice sounded tired. _"It's a fishing village south of Nibelheim at the mouth of the Gjoll River."_

"Ri-ight." Zack valiantly fought down another bout of chuckles before continuing. "Keep us posted. We'll decide on a place to meet up in a few days."

After Zack handed the phone over to Tifa, Kunsel pulled him aside. "I'm going back over Mount Nibel. Call it a hunch or SOLDIER instinct, but I think we missed something last time."

Zack frowned. "Alone?"

"Yeah." Kunsel gave Zack a friendly punch to the shoulder. "It's not like you to worry so much. Come on, I can take care of myself."

"I know, it's just... I already lost one friend to that place, I don't want it to happen again."

Kunsel nodded. "I'll take Nanaki. If I start acting like a B-movie villain he can, I dunno, bite my hand off or something."

Zack laughed, finally back to his usual self. "Right. And if you run into any dragons, make sure to say 'hi' for me."

*7*7*

"#$%! Who took my #^#$ smokes!"

A far too boyish giggle revealed the obvious culprit. Yuffie sat on a crate, dangling the box of cigarettes near an open window.

"Damn you, brat! Give those back now!"

Yuffie managed a devilish smile despite her green complexion. "That's no way to talk to someone who's saving your life. Do you have any idea what smoking does to you?"

"Like I care!" Cid launched himself at Yuffie. The pack went flying and both dived after it, scuffling across the floor in an awkward attempt to keep the other from reaching the prize.

"Crank-legged old man!"

"Loudmouthed punk!"

"Chimney!"

"Let go, ya $%^# twig!"

"Make me, you old fart!"

"I ain't old!"

"Sez you!"

Cloud strode over to the all but forgotten pack of cigarettes. The sound of the box crumpling in his fist was quiet, yet sufficient to make Cid fall silent. Yuffie disentangled herself and shuffled over to the window to relieve her overburdened stomach.

"Why'd ya-" Cid cut himself short when he saw the look on Cloud's face.

Cloud glared unadulterated fury at Cid. Without taking his eyes off the older man, he opened the door and threw the pack into the ocean. "If they're that important, you can swim after them."

Failing to come up with a retort, for once, Cid grumbled to himself and slumped back in the pilot's seat.

Yuffie groaned from her position at the window. "Thank goodness. I thought I was gonna die. How can anyone stand that smell?"

*7*7*

Tseng had no idea what Rufus was planning, and considering that whatever it was gave him a couple days away from Hojo, he didn't particularly care at the moment.

What bothered him was what Hojo might be, and probably was, planning. Especially after what Hojo said four days ago.

_"A better question would be why Jenova chose that time to move."_

While Tseng had little time to investigate since then, he had come to a conclusion. If he were to get any answers, he'd have to either check the mansion in Nibelheim or ask Hojo directly. Neither option looked at all pleasant.

Tseng was a Turk. Doing unpleasant things was his job. Given that he already had access to Hojo, he decided to take that option.

Which was what brought him to that room at the military base, standing at attention while Hojo acted like Tseng had been the one who was summoned.

"So? Any progress searching for Sephiroth?"

"No." It wasn't entirely a lie. "Professor, I'm here to ask you about two of your... test subjects."

"Hmm? Which would those be? I don't bother to remember them all, just the interesting ones."

Tseng could have been a blank wall for all the emotion he showed. "I think you would have found these two interesting. SOLDIER First Class Zack Fair and Infantryman Cloud Strife." Silent fell as Tseng waited for a response and Hojo showed no sign of recognition. "The two who escaped from Nibelheim. I believe you encountered them while they were attempting to rescue the Ancient."

Hojo cackled. "Is that so? Yes, I thought they looked familiar. So Specimen C has regained consciousness, has he? How intreguing! Where is he? I must see him!"

"I don't know." Also, not entirely a lie.

"You don't know?" Hojo's eyes narrowed. "Hmph. Incompetent. I shouldn't have expected anything else. Is that all you have to tell me?"

"No. I'm here to ask you if it's possible that their presence in the ShinRa Building had something to do with Jenova's awakening."

The corners of Hojo's mouth spread further apart in what could, with some imagination, be called a smile. "You have a brain, after all. No, their presence did not have _something_ to do with it, it had _everything_ to do with it! The scattered pieces of Jenova call out to each other, desiring nothing more than Reunion. The closer the pieces, the stronger the call." Hojo cackled again. "Find those samples for me! If you do that, then you will certainly also find Sephiroth!"

Tseng remained as unmoving as a stone. On the outside. Inside, his mind was churning. Just what had Hojo done to them?

*7*7*

"You know _mph!_ it's a little unfair _hn_ how easy Zack makes this look!"

Nanaki charged up blizzara. "Ironic, considering his name."

Kunsel just barely dodged the dragon's fire breath. "Do you have any idea how old that joke is?"

Nanaki didn't answer, partially because he knew the question was rhetorical and partially because his mouth was clamped tight over the base of the dragon's left wing.

Kunsel adjusted his footing. The dragon had bled all over the path, making it hard to find nonslippery ground. It was starting to look like he was going to have to resort to using a summon. Odd that the only materia they had was what Aerith had on her person. He could only assume the rest was with Cloud and, more to the point, Yuffie.

He swung and jumped back. Just one more scratch to annoy the monster. What were the dragons around here made out of? "Die already!" Leaning on his sword for support, Kunsel called upon Shiva's power.

Finally, that did it. Nanaki jumped out of the way as the dragon tumbled onto its side and over down the side of the mountain.

Kunsel managed to stand on his own so he could sheath his sword. "Cloud wasn't kidding about not wanting to be around this place at night."

Nanaki started to cast a spell, probably cure or cura. Kunsel waved him down. "I'm fine. Nothing a good night's sleep won't fix, anyway. We're pretty close to the reactor. We can take shelter there."

* * *

_Oh, Nanaki, that was such a lame joke. :P_

_I'm having some fun writing Rufus. I've found all to often that writers either make him as psychotic as Hojo or forget about the 'magnificent' part of the 'magnificent bastard' trope. Yes, yes, his introduction was a somewhat cliche villain speech about ruling the world through fear, but that's not the only part of his character._

_Writing Hojo, on the other hand, continues to creep me out. Mainly in how easy it is. It should not be this easy to get into the mind of that... technical human being._

_And I have Kunsel go back to Nibelheim mainly because I wanted to explore the area more, but couldn't find an excuse to do so with the rest of the party there. Besides, splitting everyone up like this may let me show off some combatants that I have been neglecting. (coughTifacough)_


	45. Split Up the Party

**Chapter Forty-Four - Split Up the Party**

Tifa stretched as she sat down next to Aerith. Aside from a nest of battery caps, the last few hours had been rather uneventful. If not for her worry over Cloud and everyone else, she thought that she might have been able to sleep well that night.

"Ouch!" Aerith stuck her finger in her mouth. In her lap lay a bundle of black cloth and a shiny silver needle.

"What are you doing?"

Aerith sighed. "I'm trying to fix Cloud's shirt. The back is full of holes from when we fell in the mansion. It seems to mean a lot to him so I wanted to fix it, but I think I'm doing something wrong."

"Can I take a look?" Tifa held out her hands, where Aerith gratefully deposited the mess. "Where did you get the sewing kit?"

"Shera. I went back into town to let her know Cid was all right."

Tifa hadn't even noticed. Then again, she also hadn't noticed Cloud's attachment to this shirt. She held it up, the needle dangling precariously from the thread. Now that she looked, it was almost exactly like the shirt Zack most often wore. She guessed it was probably part of a SOLDIER uniform.

Oh. Of course. "I... I think the thread is too thin, and your stitches are too far apart. Do you mind if I try?"

"Not at all." Aerith smiled as she reached into a small basket by her knees. "I'm a little relieved, actually. You wouldn't know it to look at me, I suppose, but I'm not very good at sewing."

"I'm not that great, either, but after fighting and running a bar for so long I at least come with my own thimbles." Tifa held up her hands to show the callouses on her fingers.

Aerith laughed. "Tending flowers doesn't do my hands much good, either." She held up small, delicate hands covered in tiny cuts and rough spots. "My mother used to despair ever getting my hands clean. Or my dresses free of dirt stains."

Tifa smiled. "I was always coming home covered in dirty and bruises. Papa thought..." Her face fell a little. "He worried about me, my safety. But it kept me busy and he knew I needed that."

"He sounds like a good father."

"He was."

Aerith leaned her head back and watched the sky through the tree branches. "I don't have any memories of my father. My real mother told me once that he died when I was very small."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's not your fault, after all. And I can't really say that I miss him because I never knew him. Those memories you have of your father are something precious you should hold onto."

"Yeah. You're right."

*7*7*

"Phew! It stinks in here." Kunsel held him nose as he entered the reactor.

"I find it interesting that you regard the Lifestream's odor unpleasant."

Kunsel looked sideways at Nanaki. "It smells like a sewage plant after the transformer blew." His eyes rolled toward the ceiling. "Come to think of it, that's pretty much what the locker room smells like back at SOLDIER."

Nanaki tilted his head. "Interesting comparison, though I still don't see how that's unpleasant."

"Yeah... I guess it's a human thing." Kunsel stepped further into security check room. "This should be fine but I want to check a little deeper in the reactor itself."

"For evidence of Hojo's experiments?"

"Yeah. Zack mentioned there were monsters in pods here. I want to see if they're still here, and if they were anyone I knew." Kunsel didn't explain further before leaving the relatively clean, well-maintained chamber for the mako-encrusted interior.

He didn't have far to go before reaching what had to be the pod room Zack mentioned. The pods were still there though a quick look told Kunsel that they were empty. A little more looking and he could tell where parts of the railing on the stairs had been replaced and the wall near the far door patched over. The only thing that remained broken was a pod directly to the left of the stairs that had a person-sized dent in the back left corner.

Kunsel looked from the dent up to the door with the word 'Jenova' inscribed above it. The door, the replaced section of railing, and the crushed pod all lined up. But Zack said he landed on the stairs. Did Zack remember it wrong? He almost certainly hit his head, however it happened, so it was possible.

Regardless, there wasn't anything left that might answer Kunsel's many questions. He went back to find Nanaki curled up but most definitely not asleep in a corner of the security room.

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

"No. ShinRa either moved or destroyed the bodies. Or maybe Genesis took them. It's impossible to say now." Kunsel rubbed his eyes. "I need some sleep. Mind taking first watch?"

"Not at all. Are we going straight to Nibelheim in the morning?"

Kunsel spread out his sleeping bag. "Not quite. I want to check out the caves Zack mentioned, first. Among other things, a place that rich in mako might have some natural materia."

"And?"

Kunsel laid down with one arm over his eyes. "Heh. And I have a hunch we might find something interesting there."

*7*7*

Cid glared at the rough landscape before them, dotted intermittently by tough shrubs and thin trees. "So this is Wutai, huh? Don't see what the big fuss was about."

"Oh, you look at one beach and judge a place, huh? I'll have you know Wutai was the best country on the planet before your stupid war."

"Don't mess with me, brat. I still haven't forgotten that stunt you pulled yesterday."

Vincent glided past. "We all remember that."

Yuffie stuck her tongue out at Vincent before cheerfully turning to Cloud. "So what now, fearless leader?"

"Me?" Cloud pointed to himself as his eyes widened, making him look even younger than usual.

"I sure don't see Vince over there takin' charge." Cid thumbed over to where Vincent was... brooding, probably.

"Um... Well, we should look for the Temple of the Ancients." Cloud looked at Yuffie. "I don't suppose you have anywhere we could look?"

Yuffie turned away for a moment, a rather transparent attempt at hiding her wicked grin. When she turned back, she was still grinning, though at least it wasn't as obviously mischievous. "Yeah! There are lots of canyons and hidden places north of here."

Cloud nodded. "Then north it is."

"There better be a village with a tobacco store along the way."

*7*7*

The caves would have been easier to find with Tifa guiding them, but the rough map of the mountain she had drawn worked almost as well. Kunsel whistled as he and Nanaki entered the rough passageway. "Zack wasn't kidding about this being an oddly colored cave. No wonder ShinRa built their first reactor here. The mako levels in this mountain must be phenomenal."

"It makes me wonder what this place would be like without the reactor."

"With all this mako sitting right at the surface?" Kunsel tilted his head back as if to study the ceiling. "I don't think it'd be safe to have a town so close."

Nanaki made a noise in the back of his throat that Kunsel interpreted as the equivalent to a human 'hmm.'

They continued walking, the only sound being the oddly musical echoes of their footsteps through the gleaming green chambers.

"I should ask Cloud if he spent much time on the mountain as a kid," Kunsel whispered. "It might explain some... things." His jaw nearly dropped as he stepped into the next chamber.

Tree roots. On a mountain completely devoid of plant life, this one cave was lined completely in tree roots. They draped down the sides and twisted along the floor. Each and every one led to a pool in the center. Rising from the pool was a tall crystal that twisted and grew around a spiral of roots. Green mist reached up from the crystal and the pool, dancing almost like a living thing.

Kunsel stepped into the chamber, half expecting the roots to crack and crumble into dust under his boots. Instead, they held firm.

"This is a most remarkable place." Nanaki's voice was hushed as he padded in after Kunsel.

"Yeah." Hushed tones seemed appropriate to the setting. "I'm going to take a closer look."

Now expecting the roots to reach out and grab him for violating their sanctuary, Kunsel picked his way across to the mako fountain. He'd definitely have to ask Cloud if he ever played near one of these as a kid.

The edge and bottom of the pool were encrusted with mako crystals. "I know some researchers who would love to see this place. Ah!" At the bottom of the pool lay a perfectly formed materia. Kunsel couldn't tell the color through the green haze, but from the lightness of it, he was pretty certain it wasn't a summon or independent.

Kunsel reached into the pool. It was a little deeper than it looked, and he had to submerge his arm almost to the shoulder to reach the materia. He grit his teeth against the stinging over his skin and inside his brain. Finally, he sat back with a pale blue ball gripped firmly in his hand.

"I still can't believe Zack and Cloud spent four years submerged in this stuff and came out sane. Well, mostly sane."

"Are you referring to Zack or Cloud with that last statement?"

Kunsel smiled back at Nanaki. "Cloud, mostly. Zack's pretty much the same as before except he seems less likely to jump without looking first."

Nanaki lowered his nose. "I see. While I would not question Cloud's sanity, I agree that there is a strangeness to him sometimes."

"Maybe I'm thinking about it too much." Kunsel looked back down at his new materia. "Hmm. All. That'll come in handy."

*7*7*

Barret leaned against the outer wall of the fish market, grumbling like he had for the last half hour. "How the hell'd we get in this mess."

"I think it started when Zack held the door open for me." Aerith giggled. "Then he kept holding it open for Tifa and the old lady behind her."

"Aye. That's were it really started. She nearly dropped one of her bags and Zack offered to carry them for her."

Tifa readjusted the strap on her elbow guards. "It was a nice thing to do. It wasn't really a mess until we ended up having to help paint that fence."

"Was that before or after the lost cat?"

Barret grunted. "Fine. I get the idea. Spiky-headed punk can't resist helpin' people."

Aerith smiled, her eyes focused on a spot somewhere miles beyond Barret, the wall, the stinking fish, the littered alleyway, and all the buildings beyond. "Yes. He is like that."

"Hey, guys!" For once, Zack's arrival was easily predicted by the overpowering stench of rotting fish. "You know, this would have been a lot easier with some help."

"Yer the one 'at volunteered."

Zack visibly wilted, eliciting giggles from Aerith. "Yeah, but that stuff _reeks_."

"Serves ya right for makin' me pull up all that carpet."

Aerith decided this was a good time to intervene. "It's over now, so there's no point arguing." Her eyes twinkled in Zack's direction. "And you need a shower, anyway."

Zack grinned. "A shower does sound like a good idea." He leaned slightly over her. "Especially since I'm not the only one who could use one."

The rest of the world fell away as Aerith's face slowly turned beet red. Nothing existed except her, Zack, and the vague awareness of someone coughing.

The world snapped back into focus thanks to Barret. "Wan' us ta get you two a room?"

"Barret!" Tifa slapped his arm.

Aerith could feel her blush working it's way down her neck. She ducked her head and pushed Zack away, aware that he was already starting to lean back. And chuckling.

"Seriously, if it was just me, I don't think we could justify staying at an inn here. Kunsel would have a fit over our budget."

"I dun' care what ya do, so long as it gets rid of the stink!"

Tifa rubbed her temples. "We could _all_ do with getting cleaned up. So why don't we just go find an inn and try to relax."

"You can do that," Cait said. "My cleaning'll be a wee bit more complicated, so I'll see ya later."

Zack nodded. "When and where should we meet up?"

"Hmm. Right here in a couple hours. Bye!"

*7*7*

Cloud, Cid, Vincent, and Yuffie sat in the back of a pickup heading north through the nearly barren mountains of Wutai's southern region. They had picked up the ride that morning in a village festooned with red and gold banners.

Now it was almost noon. They hadn't heard or seen anything about the Temple of the Ancients since they arrived, though Cloud seemed to be the only one who cared. Cid leaned back, a smile on his face and a thin line of smoke drifting up from the cigaret clamped firmly in his mouth. Yuffie looked a little better than she usually did in motorized vehicles, though not by much. Vincent just... existed.

They were still between towns, but every house they passed seemed to have a booth set up near the road with red and gold banners. Some sold food, others postcards, and one had big fans with a picture of a purple fruit with characters Cloud recognized as meaning 'good luck.'

"Yuffie, is there some sort of festival going on?"

She looked at Cloud as if trying to figure out if he was being serious. "It's New Year's. Duh. Okay, it's the second, but people are still going to celebrate and rip off tourists."

"Oh. Yeah." He hadn't paid attention to the date, but it was the right time of year. That meant the Solstice was over. He hadn't said anything to Tifa or Zack. No presents, either. Did they celebrate the Solstice in Midgar? He couldn't remember. It probably wasn't the best time, with everyone focused on saving the world and everything, but...

"Maybe we should stop."

"What? Here?" Yuffie leaned away from the truck's edge, her nausea temporarily forgotten. "What for?"

Cloud shrugged. "Shopping."

"Uh-uh. No way. This is all cheap junk for tourists visiting the shrines and hot springs. Wait till we get to Wutai. I can show you where the good stuff is."

"I thought we were in Wutai."

Yuffie rolled her eyes. A bad idea, since that brought her nausea back. "Urk. I mean the _town_ Wutai. The rest of the country is named after it."

"Oh."

Cid chuckled. "Better check yer pockets before you let her drag you off someplace, kid. My money's on that 'good stuff' of her's bein' straight off the black market."

"What do you know?"

"Enough to recognize a con artist when I see one. Even if you are just a squirt."

Yuffie's face contorted oddly before she resumed her position over the edge of the trunk. "Ugh. I'd give you a piece of my mind, but it's not worth the effort. Oooog. I hate trucks."

The truck stopped soon after that. The driver opened the back window so he could be heard. "This as far I go. Good luck on journey."

"Finally!" Yuffie nearly trampled everyone else getting out of the truck. "Real food! Mochi! Pork buns! Sushi!"

"I'm not eatin' any raw fish!" Cid clambered out the back.

Vincent slid out right behind Cloud. "None of those foods require the addition of fish. Raw or otherwise."

Cid didn't look convinced. "Yeah? How'd you know that?"

Cloud couldn't be sure, but Vincent might have raised one eye brow. "Wutanese take-out."

"EW! And I thought you were so pale from living in a basement for years and years." Yuffie started pushing Vincent toward the village. "Okay, so maybe that is why. But imitation food isn't helping! Mission Taiyaki: start!"

* * *

_Tifa and Aerith bonding time, Zack and his chronic Good Samaritanism, Kunsel being a snoop, and Yuffie proving once again that I can't put her in a scene without at least one exclamation mark. Yeah, not much really happens in this chapter as far as plot. Character development is important, too, though, right? Dang, but I'm having a hard time with Vincent. He talks even less than Cloud. And unlike Cloud, who communicates fairly effectively through body language, he just sort of... exists. "A stone in the river of time," is the way he put it in DoC, I think._


	46. Reading and Stealing

**Chapter Forty-Five - Reading and Stealing**

"How is anyone supposed to find anything in this place?" Kunsel shifted yet another pile of books and papers to get at the shelves behind it. Granted, some of the mess was their own fault, but most of it was there before they arrived.

Nanaki growled. "It's possible only Hojo would understand the organization of this place."

"_What_ organization? It almost looks like someone ransacked the place." The shelf turned out to contain operation manuals. Kunsel sank to the floor, resisting the urge to bash his head against the desk behind him. "Of course, the most detailed information is probably on the computers, but they're all locked down."

"Perhaps Vincent would know how to gain access."

"I think ShinRa would have changed the codes in the last... Uh, right. I'll keep that in mind."

A few minutes later, they had several piles set aside by topic. Nanaki let Kunsel do most of the reading. After finding a document detailing the differences in accelerated healing between 'specimens C and Z,' Zunsel had to admit that Nanaki probably had the right idea.

"Wow. And I thought the stuff I read before was disturbing." Kunsel flipped a page in the notebook he found and made a note.

"Are you finding what you wanted?"

"I'd be able to answer that if I knew what I'm looking for." Kunsel rubbed his eyes and picked up the next book scattered on the floor. "Looks like another journal."

Nanaki rested his head on his paws. As relaxed as the gesture seemed, Kunsel knew enough by this point to see how tense he was. His ears twitched and the fur along his back stood up slightly.

Kunsel flipped through a few pages. Most of them were notes on the mako reactor and the health of the people working on it. "Huh. That's interesting. I'll have to ask Cloud and Tifa about that."

Nanaki huffed. "I hope it isn't anything traumatic."

"I don't think so. There's just a note in here that most of the townsfolk refused to work at the reactor because of some unspecified legend."

"Or perhaps they were concerned about the dragons."

"Yeah, maybe." Kunsel flipped through a few more pages before almost ripping a couple in his haste to backtrack. "No way!" He continued abusing the paper until he found what had caught his attention. "Oh, this is definitely going in the 'keep' pile."

Nanaki opened his one good eye. "You aren't going to read it here?"

Kunsel snorted out a laugh. "I'm not quite so callous that I'd keep you in a place that makes you uncomfortable longer than necessary. Besides, this place is starting to give me the creeps, too."

Nanaki made that noise Kunsel assumed to be a 'hmm.'

Kunsel leaned to one side to add the journal to the small pile of books and papers they'd be taking out with them. The new angle brought a patch of color into his vision. He tilted his head to get a better look.

The corner of a notebook stuck out from the bottom of one of the piles beside the bookcase nearest the door. Unlike nearly every other book there, this one was a sort of speckled green that nearly camouflaged it against the mako-stained walls and floor.

He wasn't going through the contents of the library in any particular order, anyway. The first impression was that it was another journal, though the tidy, feminine handwriting was a surprise. That handwriting announced on the cover that it was on legends related to summons and something called WEAPON. On the inside surface, Kunsel got another surprise.

A name. "Lucrecia Crecent."

Kunsel flipped through a few pages and added it to the keep pile. "Let's take a break. The air outside isn't exactly fresh, but it's better than in here."

*7*7*

Yuffie surged down the dirt road, the rest of the team following in her wake. A cart off to the left caught her attention and she pounced at the bench set in front of it. "Udon!" She slapped the counter, an unnecessary gesture for getting the cook's attention. "Four bowls of your best!"

The only indication that the cook heard her was a slight frown and the appearance of the demanded bowls. Along with them came four sets of chopsticks.

Cid held his as if he were about to stab the soup. "What the hell?"

"Seriously? Five-year-olds can hold chopsticks better than that! Look! You do it like this!" Yuffie just about shoved her chopsticks up Cid's nose. "Even Cloud has it better than you!"

"Even?" True, Cloud felt a little awkward with the implements, but did it really show that much?

Yuffie shrugged. "You're about as gaijin as they get, that's all. No one would every mistake you or the smoke-stack over here for Wutanese."

"Ain't you Wutanese kids supposed to respect your elders?"

"I thought you said you weren't old."

"Older than you, squirt!"

Yuffie stuck out her tongue at Cid before shoving a mouthful of noodles into her mouth. A mouthful that quickly got spat out all over the counter. "Everyone stop eating!"

Cloud froze with his chopsticks at his mouth, noodles slowly slipping back down into the bowl. Cid glared at Yuffie, his bowl still untouched. Vincent set his bowl down, the chopsticks resting across the top as he waited for an explanation.

None came directly. Yuffie simply started yelling at the cook in Wutanese.

Cid leaned back. "What the hell's she sayin'?"

Cloud shrugged, not certain if Cid expected an answer.

Whether he was expecting one or not, Vincent provided one. "She said that the soup tastes like water and accused him of importing the noodles." He paused for a moment as the tirade turned into an argument. "He said that she insulted him. She said that his cooking insults all of Wutai and he dishonors his ancestors by serving such tasteless food."

Cid didn't look convinced. "They took this long just to say that?"

"I'm... paraphrasing slightly."

Yuffie huffed. "We're leaving!"

"Now hold on! Vincent's the only one who's eaten anything!"

"Exactly! We're eating somewhere else. Someplace that's not so cheap and flashy!"

Cloud looked down at his bowl and sighed. He didn't really care what the food tasted like, he just wanted something to eat.

*7*7*

Yuffie smiled happily to herself. She'd finally, after what felt like hours of searching, found a snack stand that sold the best mitarashi dango she'd ever had. It sat near the edge of town overlooking a large field. She sucked another sweet, sticky dumpling off her stick. "See, guys? I told you it was worth looking around. ... Guys?"

They were already walking down the road that cut through the field.

"Hey! HEY!" Popping the last dumpling in her mouth she jumped out in front of them.

Cid had managed to calm down a little bit after getting food into him, but nearly tripping over the little ninja brought back some of his sour mood. "What the _hell_ is it! Shoutin' out and jumpin' in front of me all of a sudden!"

"I know this area pretty well. It gets pretty tough past here. Better get ready..." She trailed off, not sure what to tell them to get ready for.

Cid raised an eyebrow. "Hey, you serious? If you're trying to con us, you won't get away with it!"

Yuffie shook her head. "No! It's _really_ tough..."

This time a voice from behind the men interrupted her. "There they are, catch 'em!"

They spun around. Running toward them were three infantrymen.

"ShinRa," Vincent muttered as he reached for his gun.

The lead infantryman skidded to a halt. "Hey, that's not them! These are the other guys from before!"

Yuffie stepped back just as Cid yelled at her. "Yuffie! You sure got some nerve, kid!"

"I didn't know! I have nothing to do with this one!" She waved her hands in front of her face.

Both Cloud and Cid had one eye on her. Vincent kept his attention fully on the infantrymen.

Cid ground down on his cigarette. "Whaddya mean '_this_ one'? '_This_ one'! So you _were_ planning some crooked $%*&!"

"No..." Yuffie caught the disappointed look in Cloud's eye and faltered. "Umm, uh..."

Any further excuse was interrupted by the infantrymen attacking. With everyone distracted, Yuffie ran away.

It didn't take her long to find a hiding place. She hadn't been lying about knowing the area well. A ditch lined with thorny shrubs wouldn't look like a good place to stay from the outside, but inside most of the branches not at the surface had fallen away forming a sort of cave. Yuffie crawled in there to check on her loot.

"Heh heh heh. Suckers. Never let a master materia hunter anywhere near a steal materia if you want to keep what you've got." It was a little disappointing that some of the really nice ones had been with Aerith when they got separated, but she could live with that loss. Besides, two out of three summons wasn't bad.

Her breath caught in her throat as a noise rose up behind her. A truck full of firewood rumbled past.

Yuffie blew out her held breath. Even as awesome as she was, she had to get some more distance between her and Cloud. She was half convinced that he had x-ray vision or something. And if Cloud found her Cid would _kill _her.

She ran down the road. If she was going to get to Wutai and a warm bed before dark, she'd have to get a ride. Not a pleasant idea, but it wasn't like she had much choice.

Ah hah! A pickup carrying crates of vegetables rolled toward her. She jumped into the road, waving her arms.

The driver slammed on the brake. In Wutanese, he started chewing out the apparently suicidal hitchhiker. "Are you crazy? You could be killed doing that!"

"Doesn't matter! How close can you get me to Wutai village?"

The driver frowned. "All the way, but what are you doing going there all by yourself?"

"Visiting family."

*7*7*

"That damn little #$&^. Just wait till I get my hands on her."

"You already said that."

Cid glared at Cloud. "And I'll say it however many times I want! $&^%! Who'da thought such a loudmouthed brat could be so slick."

Vincent hadn't participated in the conversation for over an hour. Mainly because there wasn't any point. They already decided that Yuffie would most likely head for Wutai. What they needed to do now was get there. Preferably without killing each other.

A low rustle in the bushes stopped Vincent in his tracks. He raised his gauntleted hand, stopping Cloud and Cid not so much with the signal as with the way his cape flowed out in front of them.

"Eh? What gives?"

Cloud reached for his sword. "There's something there."

As if to verify Cloud's statement, a huge beetle with four legs shot out of the bushes. It fell with three tightly spaced bullet holes in its head.

"Bizarre bug. That wasn't so tough." Cid took a long drag on his cigarette. "Nice shooting, Vincent."

The compliment went unacknowledged as several more bizarre bugs flew out on the attack. Cloud easily cut down the one in front of him, but he didn't notice another right behind him until he heard a hollow 'thoonk' followed by a raspy screech.

Cloud turned and saw Cid's spear pinning the bug to the road.

"Thanks."

"What ya thankin' me for? We're teammates, so it's expected! Now focus on keepin' that spiky head on your shoulders." Cid reach to pull his spear out when the bug snapped at him. Cid jumped back. "Great flamin' Ifrit! That thing's still alive!"

Alive and trying to pull itself off the spear. Cloud split its head open with his sword.

The rest of the bugs were dead. Cid pulled out his spear and started cleaning it off on the grass. "Damn. Wonder if the brat ran into any monsters like this."

"I hope not." Cloud looked back where they'd come. "Maybe we should go back to the village and find someone to take us to Wutai."

Cid cursed and complained, but it was the most sensible idea, so they headed back.

*7*7*

Aerith brushed out the knots in her still damp hair. "It's nice to get a shower. I just wish I could have gotten my clothes washed, too."

"Yeah." Tifa fiddled with the edge of her skirt.

"Are you feeling okay?"

Tifa looked up and tried to smile. "I'm fine. Just feeling a little restless." She stood and strapped on her gloves and elbow guards. "I'm going out for a walk."

"Oh. All right. Have fun." The wish was sincere, though Aerith held a doubt that Tifa could have fun at this point.

Halfway down the hall, Tifa bumped into Barret.

"Huh? Tifa, whatcha doin'?"

"Just going out for a little bit."

Barret frowned. "You doin' okay? It's not like you to be bumpin' inta people like that."

"I'm fine. Really? Why do people keep asking me that?" Tifa looked away. "I'm sorry. I just need to spend a little time alone."

That explanation didn't sit too well with Barret, but after a few moments of thought, he stepped aside and let her go. He waited until she was out of sight before opening the door to his room.

Zack sat at the edge of one of the the beds. He had his pants on, but he held his shirt out in front of him, sniffing it.

"Great. I'm clean but my clothes smell like half the continent."

Barret grunted. "Well, get yourself decent. We gotta meet up with Cait in half an hour."

"That soon, huh?" Zack was just pulling on his shirt when someone knocked on the door. "Come on in, Aerith!"

Aerith poked her head in. "How did you know it was me?"

Zack grinned. "You have the most dainty knock I've ever heard."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Her expression turned serious. "I'm worried about Tifa."

"You ain't the only one, but that girl can take care o' herself. If she wants to be left 'lone, I say we let her."

Zack frowned. "Maybe. But it wouldn't hurt to be sure." He wrapped an arm around Aerith and headed for the door. "You better head to the fish market before us. If Cait shows up and we aren't there, then come back here and wait."

Barret grumbled about being ordered around, but Zack trusted that he'd follow through. What he needed to focus on now was figuring out where Tifa went.

*7*7*

"I don't know which is more depressing, the inside or the outside."

Nanaki lay curled up on the dry grass, his glowing tail flicking randomly. "Personally, I prefer the air out here, but that may be my nature."

Kunsel gave a half-hearted laugh. "Well, it is an improvement over the lab. Maybe if it wasn't so overcast." He pushed himself away from the wall and turned toward the open door. "I'm going to take one last check around that office upstairs, then we should probably get going."

"Do you wish for me to accompany you?"

"No, I'll be fine." Kunsel smiled. "I think I can stay sane for fifteen minutes."

It didn't take fifteen minutes. Aside from one book titled _Survey of Mako Concentrations In Auxiliary Reactor Personnel Compared To Local Population_, there wasn't anything even remotely interesting upstairs. Not wanting to stick around longer than necessary, Kunsel and Nanaki headed straight for where they'd left the buggy. Kunsel packed the books and notes in the trunk.

Sitting behind the wheel, Kunsel pulled out his phone. "We'd better call Zack and see where they want to meet up."

The phone rang three times before someone picked up. That by itself worried Kunsel a little.

_"Yo."_

"Barret? What are you going with Zack's phone?"

_"Idjit left it on the bed when he and Aerith went out."_

Kunsel breathed out a sigh of relief. The relief was short lived. "Wait. What are you guys doing at an inn already?"

_"Long story."_ Barret sounded annoyed. Rather, more annoyed than usual. _"But it ended up with Zack needin' a shower bad an' the rest o' us fig'red it'd be a good idea to get cleaned up, too."_

"Huh. Okay. I was calling because we're just leaving Nibelheim and wanted to know where we should meet up."

There was a brief pause on the other end before Barret spoke. _"Might's well meet in Hel. Inn's easy 'nough to spot."_

"Right. We'll probably be there in a few hours."

* * *

_I think I'm having too much fun with that town's name. You know, there really is a village named Hell in Norway. It has a different etymology than 'Hel,' who was the goddess of the dead in Scandinavian mythology. Still, it sounds the same, and it gives people the chance to say that Hell is uphill from here and be completely honest._

_That aside, Kunsel's second trip to the library has a different effect on him. In part because of Zack's concern and also because he's running into more information on what happened to Zack and Cloud. Besides, the place is depressing. The novelty has worn off, he doesn't have noisy people to distract him, so now he's responding more naturally to the surroundings. That's my thinking, anyway._


	47. Descendent of the Shinobi

**Chapter Forty-Six - Descendent of the Shinobi**

Yuffie dropped from the rafters of her own house grinning like a maniac. "I am awesome!" She pulled out the bag of stolen materia and giggled. The giggles grew until she was rolling on the floor, long, skinny legs kicking at the air.

This fit of self-congratulatory hysteria didn't last long. She took a materia out of the bag and frowned at it.

"Oooooo! I don't get it!" Yuffie threw the bag across the room. "Cloud could figure out that one materia just from looking at it! I'm the greatest materia hunter ever! I should be able to... to _smell_ what a materia is! From a mile away!"

She pouted for a moment before getting bored with that thought.

"Where are they! Don't tell me they didn't even notice?" They were supposed to chase her! It wasn't any fun if it was too easy.

Still nothing. She crossed her arms and hmphed. Nothing for it but to find a good hiding place for the materia and then maybe wander around town.

Maybe she should have waited until they were closer. After all, they probably got lost without her. Or maybe they got taken out by those ShinRa guys.

No way. Cloud was way too strong for wimps like that, and Vincent would just turn into that monster-thing and scare them so bad they'd wet themselves. Cid might have some trouble, though. She didn't even know if he knew how to use that spear of his.

She was still thinking about what might be keeping them when she rounded the corner of the weapon shop. There, across the footbridge, stood Cloud.

And he didn't see her. She didn't know what he was looking at. He looked kind of spaced out.

"Hey!" She made sure he noticed her before running off the way she'd come.

All too soon she lost sight of him. Did he follow her? Was he getting Vincent and Cid? She ducked into the shadows beside the palace and slipped through a secret panel.

It was hard to resist the urge to giggle. This was how an adventure was supposed to be!

She waited.

And waited.

How long was it going to take them to figure out where she went?

Wait! A sound! Yuffie peaked through a knot hole. Cloud, Vincent, and Cid were just passing the koi pond in the central courtyard.

Yuffie swallowed an 'eep.' Vincent seemed to take one look inside the study and found the secret panel in the right-hand wall.

_I guess that's to be expected from a Turk._

She slid silently away along the ceiling passage. They'd probably take a minute or so to realize the space behind the wall was empty before moving on to the next room.

Though, in a way, she rather hoped they wouldn't. Even if she didn't have peepholes to look through she'd be able to tell who occupied that room from the snoring. Such a useless old man.

Too soon, Cloud and Vincent entered the room. Cid must have stepped out to smoke. Cloud stepped over to the old man in the blue kimono splayed out on the futon and gently shook his shoulder.

The old man grunted. "What do you want?" He blinked a bit but didn't really look at his guests. "Don't have _grunt_ much, but you should be able to _grunt_ rest yourselves here. _grunt_ Make yourselves at home."

_Stupid old man. He didn't even bother finding out who they are._

"We're looking for a girl named Yuffie." Cloud's voice came through soft and clear.

"...Yuffie?" The old man thought for a moment, or maybe drifted back to sleep. "Nope, never heard of her." He grunted again and tried to settle further into the futon.

_Why that..._

Yuffie didn't have time to finish that thought. Vincent took a turn getting the old man's attention. He snorted and rolled over.

"You again? I told you once, and I'm telling you again, I don't know her."

Cloud and Vincent stood their ground.

Obviously annoyed, the old man sat up. "Listen, I said I don't know her! There isn't anyone named Yuffie here in Wutai!"

Well, that last statement was true as far as he knew.

The old man seemed to take notice of his guests' appearance, finally. He stood up and examined first Cloud then Vincent. "Never seen you around here before..." He frowned. "Lately I've been seeing a lot of ShinRa troops around here. You wouldn't have anything to do with that would you?"

Cloud and Vincent looked at each other. It was possible. Either way, it meant trouble.

The old man took their lack of answer as an answer. "I don't care who you are. But if you're in trouble with ShinRa, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I don't want ShinRa hanging around here looking over my shoulder."

Yuffie finally had enough. "What's with you, you coward!" She opened the trapdoor outside the room and jumped down in one fluid motion.

The old man spun to face her. "Yuffie!"

"You scared of ShinRa?" Yuffie glared at him. "Then why don't you fall into line and obey them, just like all of the other towns!" She stepped into the room and pointed right in Cloud's face. "Those guys are the ones who are really fighting ShinRa!"

"Shut up!" The old man moved forward. "What would you know about this?"

Yuffie set her hands on her tiny hips. "You get beaten once, and then that's it? What happened to the mighty Wutai I used to know?"

The old man pointed at her. "No kid like you is going to talk to me like that! You keep acting like that! You ought to be ashamed of yourself!"

Yuffie shrugged, a smug grin on her face. _Got you now, old man._ "That's my style!" She frowned again. "And it's my own business, not yours! Don't you try and dictate what I should do!"

He was really losing it, shaking his fists in the air. Cloud and Vincent just stood in the background unable to step in, and probably unwilling to try.

"Style...? Dictate...? Throwin' around all those fancy words... You're a miserable daughter!"

Yuffie stuck her nose in the air. "Hmph! You're a sad excuse for a father!"

At that, her father ran at her. She laughed as she easily dodged him and ran away.

Her father, Godo, the great leader who was supposed to lead Wutai to victory against ShinRa. What a joke. She jumped behind the gold kappa statue and disappeared through another secret passage.

*7*7*

Reno sucked down another drink. "Ah... Just like old times, huh, Rude? Bet you're glad now that I saved all those Turtle Paradise coupons."

As expected, Rude didn't say anything, just continued to nurse his drink.

Elena sat between them looking more like a prisoner than anything else. "We should be doing something. As Turks, aren't you bothered that we got leave and Tseng didn't?"

"Not at all. Better him than us, right Rude?"

Rude grunted before taking another long sip of sake.

Elena rolled her eyes. How was she supposed to consider these two goofs as her superiors? Movement by the door caught her attention and she turned.

She didn't expect to see anything interesting. What she did see gave her a shock.

One of the AVALANCHE members with the missing pilot and a tall man in a red cloak.

"Y-you! How did you get here...?" She leaped from her seat, trying to look cool through the alcohol. "Never mind that. I guess it's fate that brought us together. Get ready to die!"

The blond SOLDIER, Cloud from the file Tseng had given them, reached for his sword. The man in the red cloak reached down for a gun. Elena suddenly felt a lot less confident. But she still had Reno and Rude for backup, right?

Right?

"Elena, you talk too much."

She looked over her shoulder at Reno. "W-what?"

Reno waved his cup at her. "What are we doing way out here in the middle of nowhere?"

"We're taking our vacation and resting up from our work." She wilted a little.

"Now our vacation is ruined." Reno turned away, glaring at the remains of his drink.

"B-but..."

Rude finally spoke. "...even the booze tastes bad now."

Elena hung her head and sat back down. "Sorry..." She was vaguely aware of Reno saying something to their enemies. He almost sounded friendly.

Probably the alcohol.

She had to say something to ease her pride. "Hmm, you're lucky all right. Now get out of my sight! The next time we meet I won't be so nice."

Problem was, they had already left.

Rude lifted his cup. "To the Turks... To Reno... cheers!"

Reno raised his cup and gulped down the rest of his drink. "Hey! Waiter! More sake over here!"

Elena let her head fall onto the table. This was turning out to be a horrible vacation.

*7*7*

"That little princess is a pain in the ass!" Cid relit his cigarette after they left the little house by the town gate. "Where to now?"

Cloud shrugged. Honestly, Yuffie could be just about anywhere, though it seemed like she was following them more than they were following her.

Vincent must have come to the same conclusion. "I think if we continue walking, she'll come to us."

Cid snorted. "Sure, but can we catch her? That's the thing."

That was a problem. Cloud was fairly sure he was faster, but she was so small. It would be far too easy to hurt her if he sped up that much. He wasn't so angry that he wanted anything like that to happen.

Lost in thought, he almost missed the sound of pottery shifting. Cloud looked up, trying to identify the source of the sound.

In front of them was the Turtle Paradise bar. Near the front door was a large pot that could probably hold two Yuffies. As he looked, it shook before settling back into place.

Using hand signals, he directed Cid and Vincent to take up positions at the two foot bridges. Cloud walked up behind the pot and waited for them to signal that they were ready.

Cloud knocked three times on the pot. The lid flew off in his face as Yuffie popped out, holding her ears. When he was able to see again, he was relieved to see that Vincent and Cid had her cornered.

"#$%# brat. You're gonna hand over that materia you stole right now!"

Yuffie glared at Cid as she tried to back away. Instead, she backed right into Cloud. She jumped forward and spun around, her fists up and her face an odd shade of pink.

Cloud stepped toward her. "You can't get away now, Yuffie."

She hung her head as if apologetic, or ashamed at being caught. "O...okay. I know... I was wrong... You win. I'll give you back your materia..."

"Damn straight. Now where is it?"

Yuffie pointed toward a house down the road from the tourist center. Vincent kept a hand, the clawed one, on her shoulder as she led the way.

They left just in time, too. Cloud noticed a couple ShinRa infantrymen run by just as they turned a corner.

*7*7*

"What a drag," Reno groaned as the infantrymen practically begged for help.

The two troopers probably looked bug-eyed under their helmets. "W-what was that...?"

"Right now we're off duty and can't run off to save your butts."

"We know you're off duty, but..." They shifted on their feet. The poor slobs probably weren't much older than fifteen.

Not that their age was going to make Reno go easy on them. "If you knew that, then don't bother us! Lookin' at you is makin' me sober."

One of them got up enough nerve to talk back. "But you all have orders from headquarters to look for him too!"

The only one who paid any attention was Elena.

The bold trooper huffed. "All right, that's it! We'll get him without any help from the Turks, just you see!" They ran back out before that same one came up with another comeback. "And don't think that headquarters isn't going to hear about this!"

Reno snickered. Whatever he found funny, Elena didn't see it.

"Reno, do you think that was really such a good idea! I mean is that the way a professional, a Turk would act!"

"Elena, don't misunderstand." Reno looked a lot more sober all of a sudden. "A pro isn't someone who sacrifices himself for his job. That's just a fool."

That didn't sound quite right to her. "Rude...?"

He didn't answer.

"Well, I don't buy that! Goodbye!" She threw a few gil for her part of the tab on the table and ran out after the troopers.

Maybe a pro didn't sacrifice himself, or herself, but she wasn't about to let anyone say that the Turks didn't obey orders.

After all, the last time the Turks defied ShinRa, most of them went missing. Including her own sister.

*7*7*

Yuffie lead them through the nearly empty house to a suspicious looking room in the basement. The most suspicious thing was the computer panel on the opposite wall.

She stopped in the doorway after the others entered. "I've been hearing that ever since I was little." She waited until she was sure the others were paying attention before continuing. "Before I was born, Wutai was a lot more crowded and more important. You saw what it looks like now, right? _Just_ a resort town... After we lost the war, we got peace, but with that, we lost something else. Now look at Wutai..."

What there was to look at. She turned her back to them, not wanting them to see her face. "That's why... if I had lots of materia I could..." The sniffles were fake, of course, but the feelings were real enough.

Cloud, at least, seemed to believe her. "I understand, but you still stole from us. If you give the materia back now, we'll drop the whole thing."

Bought it, but not enough to let her keep the materia. "I know, I know that..." She pointed behind her. "That... _sniff_... switch... the lever on the left... materia's... _sniff, hic_... in there."

Cloud hesitated for a bit before pulling the lever below the computer panel. Something shifted in the ceiling. Just as he looked up a cage dropped over Cid and Vincent.

"Whoa!" Cid stumbled back against the bars. Vincent simply looked a little nonplussed.

Yuffie laughed. "Never trust anyone that easily! The materia's mine! Tough!" She ran out into the hall. Cloud had his hand on the level to flip it back when she appeared again. "You want your materia? Then go find it yourself! Yeah, that's right. And when you're looking for the materia, remember you gotta steel it. Heh heh.. Steel... steel! Get it? See ya!" Then she ran off again.

"$^&#. What's with that kid?"

"I'm not sure." Cloud flipped the lever and the cage retracted back into the ceiling. "She does have a lot of strange things."

Vincent's cape whipped about dramatically as he exited the room. "I think she was giving us a hint."

"And why would she do that? She's just yankin' our ^#$# chain!"

Cloud stopped at the head of the stairs, letting Vincent and Cid get well ahead of him. "Maybe..."

"Huh?" Cid looked back over his shoulder. "What're you sayin'?"

"I..." Cloud grabbed his hair as he shook his head. "I don't know." He managed to gather his composure enough to complete his next sentence without stuttering. "Let's go back to the palace."

* * *

_Writing from Yuffie's POV is fun, but a little hard. It probably wouldn't have been so hard if I wasn't trying to keep some things a surprise. Of course, most of the people reading this already know that Yuffie's a princess and that her father is Godo, but I'd like to write as if most people didn't have quite such an intimate knowledge of the game. It's good practice. Other than that, getting into Yuffie's head isn't so hard. I just have to connect with my inner ten-year-old. :P (Yes, I know Yuffie is 16. She's a little immature, don't you think?)_


	48. Return of the Blob

**Chapter Forty-Seven - Return of the Blob**

"She's been gone for a while."

Reno glanced over at Rude. "Worried about Elena? I told you already, she's not a kid. She can do what she likes."

An answer was a lot time coming. "There aren't many of us left."

"Ahhhhh!" Reno leaned backward over the chair. "Fine. This place was getting boring, anyway." He headed straight for the door.

Which left Rude to take care of both his and Reno's part of the bill. Not that it was much of a surprise. Rude had already picked up a few gil from Reno to cover part of it.

That finished, Rude hurried to catch up with Reno. His partner hadn't gone far. They met up at the foot bridge leading to the main path up to the palace.

"Hey, any idea's where Elena might be?"

Rude took a moment to consider and check that he was armed. "Looking for Corneo."

"Right! So if we look for him, we'll probably find her." Reno looked around and grinned. "Might as well start with the flashiest place."

*7*7*

Aerith clasped her hands together near her chest. "She's not here, either."

"Yeah." Zack double checked the narrow space between two houses before allowing himself to slump against a wall. "Why would she run off like this, though?"

"Something's been bothering her for a while. At least since Cosmo Canyon."

Zack nodded. "That place seems to have affected everyone. Sure wish Cloud was here, he might have some idea where she'd go." Realization dawned on his face. "That's it! Sometimes I'd find Cloud in the infantry training room when something was bugging him. You know, just blowing off steam. Maybe Tifa's the same way."

"But there aren't any training rooms here."

"Yeah, but there are monsters."

"What!" Aerith's hands flew to her mouth. "Alone?"

"Whoa! Calm down! I'm sure she has enough sense not to pick a fight with anything she can't handle. Though, just in case, I have an idea where she might go to look for a fight."

*7*7*

Yuffie rocked back and forth in a mixture of manic glee and impatience. She could already picture how everything would turn out. Cloud would walk into the hidden room where she'd be waiting in cool self-assurance. Everyone, particularly Cloud, would be amazed by her skill and cleverness. They would surrender to her, relinquish their claim to the materia, and then she would proceed to restore Wutai.

How, she still wasn't sure, but something would come up. Maybe they'd be so impressed that they'd drop this silly Sephiroth quest and help her.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice the intruders until one of them started laughing.

"Hohi, hohi! What a cute chicky!"

Yuffie jumped away from the scarlet bag of blubber. "Who are you? How did you get in here? Hey! Back off!"

Two goons grabbed her arms and started tying her up. She kicked and struggled valiantly, but the only result was getting her legs grabbed, too.

"Hohi, a lively one! Be careful not to damage her."

"'Damage'? What am I, a painting? Let go! I SAID let GO! Hey! Who do you think I... OW! What're you doin'? Jerk!" Yuffie did a great impression of a landed fish as one of the goons secured her ankles with rope.

The blubber ball then made a motion to the goon who had just finished tying her. He left toward the back stairs, leaving his partner to deal with Yuffie.

Then the last thing she wanted to happen, happened.

Cloud stared at the scene unfolding in the room. "You...!"

No, no, no! This was all wrong! Part of her felt relieved that he was there to rescue her. Another, louder, part hated that he was there. She did not need rescuing! She was the Great Ninja Yuffie Kisaragi. She ate jerks like this for breakfast! And if he rescued her then she'd have to return all the materia!

Independent of either want was frustration at Cloud for not doing something. He just stood there like a lump while red beach ball blabbered and bounced away with her.

Wait. He said something about 'two for the price of one.' Yuffie looked around and noticed that the other goon had a blonde girl in a dark blue suit over his shoulder.

A Turk. Well, that made her feel a little better. Not much, especially with what happened next.

"There he is! It's Corneo! Don't let him get away!"

Considering how she was carried, Yuffie couldn't see who yelled until the goon carrying her dodged around toward the door of the shrine. The troopers that had been after Corneo crashed right into Cloud.

"You idiots! MORONS! You can't even catch one fat creep! I hope Cloud cuts off your ba-AH! Watch where you put your hands!"

Some of the epithets produced by the Turk were more creative, but the basic idea was still the same. It didn't have any real effect, but it didn't have to. Yuffie had no doubt that Cloud would make short work of those ShinRa idiots and come rescue her. Assuming, of course, that she didn't escape by herself.

Her train of thought derailed the instant she realized where the bozos were taking her. "Hey! You can't go up there! STOP!"

*7*7*

"'Look for what stands out the most.' _tch_ Why can't he talk straight?"

Neither of the other men responded, which just set Cid to grumbling more. Cloud kept his eyes up at the huge monument carved into the face of the mountain. Vincent kept his eyes straight ahead, giving no indication that he really saw or cared about anything around him.

That state persisted for quite a while until Cloud spotted a tiny building near the side of the road. It was little more than a tile roof with a back wall and two poles keeping the front end up. On either side stood a short stone pillar with a hollow nob on top that still showed signs of being used to hold a fire. Under the protection of the roof sat a little stone statue of a man with multiple faces. The exact number was hard to tell because of weathering and its position at the back of the enclosure. As Cloud looked closer he noticed a flat stone half hidden by grass in front of the statue.

"What is that?"

Vincent glanced at the little building. "It appears to be a shrine. Probably for visitors to leave an offering to the god of the mountain."

"What kind of offering?"

Cid growled as he lit another cigarette. "Who cares! Let's just git up there and grab that little thief!"

Cloud glanced at his companions as they continued along the path. Quickly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the few gil he had on him. He set them on the stone, bowed his head, and jogged to catch up.

*7*7*

Corneo practically skipped up the path winding its way through the monument of Da-Chao. "You two should be thanking me! Ho-hi! I can hardly wait!"

"I'd thank you for letting us go!" The Turk struggled more to annoy the man carrying her than anything else.

Yuffie fought back the urge to cry. She had long since run out of insults and even if she could wriggle her way free, there was a several hundred foot drop to deal with. But crying was for babies! She'd never ever let anyone see her cry for real.

So, instead, she screamed and squirmed as she was set down and retied. Then her heart lodged in her throat. They were hoisting her and the Turk up onto the face of the monument. Her feet dangled above empty air and the bone-crushingly solid ground far below.

She panicked. "LET... ME... GO!"

"Hmm! Delicious... scrumptious!" Corneo's obvious glee at her torment nearly had Yuffie throwing up. "I think I've found a new _hobby_! Which shall it be? Hmm... Hmm..." He paced in front of Yuffie and the Turk. If not for the lurching of her stomach, Yuffie would have wished that he walk right off the edge of the monument.

Corneo stopped in front of the Turk. "Should I go... with _her_?"

She probably would have blanched if she still had any blood in her face. "He... hey, I'm one of the Turks! Don't think you can get away with this!"

As Corneo continued pacing, Yuffie averted her eyes. Her stomach lurched in a new direction when she saw Cloud and the others running toward them.

"Or... maybe... _her_?"

Yuffie's eyes nearly bugged out of her head when she realized the tub of lard was pointing at her. Desperate to keep up appearances for her swiftly approaching rescuers, she forced her eyes closed. "Oh GAWDS! If I knew this was gonna happen, I would've taken rope escape lessons more seriously!"

Corneo grinned as he turned away from them. "Hmm! I've made my choice! My companion for the night will be..." He did a poor imitation of a game show host as he drew out the revelation. "...the cheerful one!"

Cheerful one? Yuffie felt all her internal organs trying to crawl up her thoat as she realized just what Corneo had in mind. Suddenly, the idea of falling to her death didn't seem like such a bad idea. "GROSS-NESS! Don't mess with me old man! You don't even have any materia!"

_Come on, Cloud! Get here already!_

"Oooooh! And she's saucy, too! Wheee! Wheee!" How could he jiggle around like that so close to the edge?

Yuffie was so focused on maintaining control of her stomach that she didn't notice who yelled next.

"All right, that's it!"

Corneo did notice, though, and backed up almost to the edge of the stone hand he had been dancing on. "Hee-haw. What... what's goin' on! Who's there?"

"Oh man! Cloud...!" Yuffie felt like she could almost breath again. That is, until she realized that no one was paying attention to her.

Cloud glared at Corneo. "Don't tell me you forgot..."

"Maybe god'd forgive an ugly ^## like you, but I won't!" Cid took a step forward, brandishing his spear.

Vincent just stood there with his arms crossed. "I don't care what you're doing, so much as the idiotic way you're doing it..."

_Get done with the posturing and RESCUE ME ALREADY!_

Corneo didn't seem to get that he was being threatened. He turned his back and looked up at the sky. "It's a long story, but..."

Cid cut him off. "I don't really give a damn! You're gonna let the two girls go, or else I'm gonna break your arm!"

_Way to go, old man! You tell him!_

Yuffie's internal cheering faded as she noticed the nasty grin Corneo wore. "Hmm. You guys are serious. Good, good. This ain't no time for me to be fooling around either." He turned to face Cloud in particular. Yuffie only had a moment to wonder how Cloud knew such a sleazebag before Corneo spoke again. "Why did you kill my little Aps? I'm gonna make you _play_ with my new pet, so you won't get in the way of my search for a bride!"

Oh, not good. Even if Corneo's method of calling his 'pet' was overly dramatic, that didn't take away from the size of the claws and teeth on the dragonoid that swooped down on them. And there was so little space to fight in, too. Yuffie couldn't bear to watch.

Though she did peek a few times. And gasped. She'd seen Cloud fight, of course, and knew that Vincent was a good shot, but she didn't realize that Cid was actually halfway decent. He certainly didn't seem to have any trouble with being suspended over open air. She wondered if the nut case was scared of anything.

Not long after that, the monster fell. This Yuffie absolutely refused to watch. Her legs were already feeling wobbly.

Corneo must have felt something similar, as he was crab-walking away from Cloud. "Wait... Just wait a second!"

"SHUT UP!"

Yuffie had never seen Cloud look so murderous. If she wasn't scared out of her mind, she would have found it rather hot.

Corneo just sweated. "Just listen to me. It won't take long. Why do you think a bad guy like me would swallow his pride and plead for his life?"

"Not interested."

"You should be." Corneo motioned to his goons, who shifted the ropes holding Yuffie and the Turk. Both girls screamed as they found themselves tipped upside down.

Yuffie managed to keep struggling even while the Turk completely lost it. "Makes me so MAD...!" _Will not cry. Will not cry!_

Corneo held up a small remote. "If I push this button, they'll fall upside down, and we'll have _squashed tomatoes_!"

If it had been anyone else but herself in this situation, Yuffie would have laughed. It was such a cliche! As it was, she had enough trouble just trying not to pass out. All the blood rushing to her head made it hard to concentrate. She thought she heard Cloud swear, which was weird considering she couldn't think of a time when he had.

Then Corneo laughed. "I guess I'm the one laughing last!"

"No, that would be us."

Yuffie didn't recognize that voice. Maybe she was finally losing it. She blinked a few times and noticed there was someone else standing near Cloud. He wore a Turk uniform like he lived in it, and never bothered to bathe.

Corneo recognized the suit, too. "The Turks!"

The walking disaster tapped his rod against his left shoulder. "You knew this was gonna happen ever since you leaked that secret. We're going to take care of you... personally."

"Dammit! Then they're all goin' with me!" Corneo held out the remote just as a small knife buried itself in his arm. He staggered back, nearly falling off the edge of the stone hand.

Yuffie couldn't see where the knife had come from. She didn't want to turn her head to look, either. Or look at Corneo dangling by one hand. Throwing up in this position would be far too nasty.

The Turk must've known who threw it, because he turned and gave whoever it was a thumbs up. "Good timing, Rude."

A new voice answered. "Let's get to work."

Yuffie didn't watch the rest. She listened, and grew increasingly frustrated that everyone was ignoring her.

"All right, Corneo. This'll be over quick, so listen up. Why do you think we went to all the trouble of teaming up with those guys to get you...? One: Because we were ready to die, two, because we were sure of victory, or three, because we were clueless."

Corneo's answer sounded panicky. "Two... Number two?"

Yuffie could almost hear the grin in that Turk's voice. "All wrong."

The sound of a thick-soled shoe grinding fingers was unmistakable. Corneo's protests turned into a fading scream and Yuffie could picture all too easily his long drop to the ground.

She chanced a peek and noticed the Turk set his sunglasses over his eyes. "The correct answer was... because it's our job."

"Oh, thank you very much...! I never expected you to come help..."

The unkempt Turk looked at the girl hanging next to Yuffie as he propped his glasses over his hair. "Don't act so weak. You're a Turk!"

Agreement with both parties tore at Yuffie. Just a little. Not enough for her to ignore her own situation and how everyone just went on talking like she wasn't there. She was just about fuming when Mr. Never-Heard-Of-A-Laundromat picked up his phone. The conversation didn't interest her until she heard him say what it was about.

"Yeah, they want us to find Zack and Cloud..."

Yuffie closed her eyes and braced herself for another overly-long battle.

That never came.

"Are we on...?"

She could almost hear the smirk in the unwashed one's voice. "No, today we're off duty. But to save trouble later, I've got a message from Tseng. Stay away from Sephiroth for your own good."

They were going to just walk away? "Hey! Who cares about that! Get. me. DOWN!"

* * *

_Yes, I suppose I did gloss over parts of this a bit. There were a few reasons. One is that most of this chapter is from Yuffie's point of view, and she's really not paying close attention. Two is, well, some of the dialog here is rather awkward and I wasn't sure if I could really fix it. Besides, Corneo's disgusting. Wanted as little screen time for him as possible._


	49. Fighting

_AAA! It's late! Well, no. It's still Friday. Technically. ^^; Sorry. Was playing a game with my sister._

* * *

**Chapter Forty-Eight - Fighting**

It didn't take long before Zack picked up the sounds of fighting. He started to run, and when Aerith protested that she couldn't keep up, he scooped her into his arms bridal style and kept going. Aerith's shriek of surprise goaded him into speeding up.

Neither of them saw Tifa until Zack jumped up to the crest of a dry bank covered in coarse grass and soft sand. Further out on the sand near the ocean, Tifa jumped and kicked at nearly half a dozen flying purple jellyfish. Crown lances, if Zack remembered right. He whistled as Tifa punched one into goo.

"Zack!" Aerith slapped his chest.

He looked down, blinking. "What? Hey! It wasn't that kind of whistle! I was watching her fight!"

Aerith crossed her arms. "Are you sure that's all you were looking at?"

"I... I..." He started to relax when he saw the corners of her mouth twitch. "You've gotten really good at this."

"Hmm. Good at what?" Aerith slid out of his arms. "Shouldn't we go help her now?"

"I don't know, she seems to be doing pretty go-OH SHIT!" One jump and Zack was halfway to where the fight had been.

'Had been' because until Zack barreled through, there wasn't a fight anymore. Not that there was much of a fight after he arrived, either. The crown lances were quivering piles of purple jelly and Zack was trying to wake up Tifa by the time Aerith tripped onto the scene.

"How do you run on sand?"

"Lot's of practice. Ah! Tifa, thank the gods."

Tifa groans as she sits up. "Zack? Aerith? What are you doing here?"

"Saving you, apparently. You left your back wide open."

"Ah." Tifa fingered the long welt where one of the crown lances stung her. "Sleep?"

"Looks like. Need a hand?"

Tifa looked at the hand he offered and shook her head. "I'm not really hurt."

Aerith hummed to herself. "I'd like to take a look at you, anyway. But that can wait until we get back to town."

Aerith and Tifa smiled at each other before starting back over the sand.

They walked in a group, Aerith and Zack to either side of Tifa, until they reached town. Further up the road they could see the fish market and the massive, dark form of Barret looming over something.

"Ah! Do you think we're late?" Aerith tried to run ahead while holding Tifa's hand, but Tifa held back.

"I... don't really feel like running right now."

Aerith looked between Tifa, Zack, and Barret before gazing at Zack for answers.

Zack smiled and ruffled Tifa's hair. "Go on ahead. I'll keep an eye on her."

"All right, but I expect you to behave yourself."

As soon as Aerith was out of earshot, Tifa murmured, "I'm sorry for worrying everyone."

"No problem. Just next time you want to blow off steam, let us know." Zack chuckled. "You and Cloud are kinda alike."

Tifa hummed a vague acknowledgement. She didn't speak for a moment after that, long enough that Zack thought she wouldn't say anything. "Zack, how long have you known Cloud?"

"About seven years, I think. Why?"

"No reason. You just seem so close."

Zack nodded. "Yeah, well, I don't think he had many friends in the infantry. After... a while, I guess he kinda became like a little brother."

"That... was after Nibelheim, right?"

"Yeah."

They were both silent for a moment after that. To Zack's surprise, Tifa spoke up again. "What was he like? Before?"

"What do you mean?"

Tifa kept her eyes on the cobbled road in front of her. "Is he different now?"

"Well, he's quieter, which is something of an achievement. Come to think of it, I haven't heard him laugh in a while, either. Not that I blame him."

Tifa didn't say anything else.

"So what was he like as a kid?"

She almost seemed to curl in on herself. "I don't know. I thought I knew. I thought we were close, but he's been acting so strange. Sometimes I feel like he's pushing me away. Like he's going somewhere I can't follow."

Ah. Zack thought he understood what was bothering Tifa. "If he's doing that, I think it's just because he wants to protect you. Though after watching you fight those monsters, I don't think you need much protection."

"I still needed rescuing."

Zack shrugged. "It happens. I can't tell you how many times I only got through a mission because there was someone around to watch my back."

"Thank you." Tifa finally looked up. "That helped a lot more than fighting monsters."

*7*7*

Vincent and Cid set their materia in the correct slots while Yuffie went on about how she could have taken Corneo if she'd been really trying. They would have left her behind like that, too, if Cloud hadn't approached her.

"Yuffie, were you lying when you said the Temple of the Ancients might be here?"

"I, uh, well, kinda. I mean, it could be here! Or someone might've heard about it! Wutai is a really old. Really, really, _really_ old. Maybe not Ancient old, but pretty close!"

Cid scoffed. "You aren't buyin' this, are ya? Squirt's jes' tryin' ta swipe our materia again."

"Am not!" Yuffie pouted under the disbelieving gaze of everyone else in the room. "Fine. I don't need your materia. Because there's someplace we can go that already has an awesome materia and information on this temple. Probably."

"Probably for the materia or the information?" Cid still didn't sound convinced.

"Both. You saw that five level pagoda at the far end of the palace courtyard, right? Well, that's where Leviathan sleeps. And to get even close I have to face five guardians."

Cid barked out a laugh. "Yeah right! Materia's been outlawed in Wutai. No way ya could have somethin' as powerful as a summon layin' around without ShinRa noticin'."

"Ha! That's what you think. It's still where it's been for generations."

"Fine." Cid waved Yuffie off. "But that don't mean we're gonna let you lead us in there."

"But you have to." Yuffie smiled. "Only someone of noble birth can enter the pagoda and none of you are even Wutanese. Well..." Yuffie cocked her head at Vincent.

"I'm not."

Yuffie nodded. "Right. So I'm the Princess of Wutai, so I'm going in."

"Do whatever ya want." Cid turned toward the door. "But I'm not gettin' played for a fool again."

"Wait."

Cid frowned at Cloud. "Ya can't be serious, kid! Ya know what this brat has been doin' to us all day."

"I know, but I don't want this trip to be a waste." Cloud looked down at Yuffie. "Promise that you won't betray us."

Yuffie thought for a moment then looked back up at him more serious than anyone there had seen her. "I promise that as long as we're still in Wutai, on my materia and status as Princess Heir Apparent, I will not betray you or steal from you."

Cloud nodded. "Then let's go."

"Fine. But I'm walkin' where I can see her hands."

*7*7*

Barret tossed Zack his cell phone as soon as they met up. "Kunsel called. Said he'd be showin' up in a couple hours or so."

"That's great. Did he say anything else?"

"Not much. Guess if ya wanna know what he found ya'll have ta ask him."

Zack nodded, which brought his attention down to Cait. The mechanical toy looked oddly dejected. "Hey, Cait, couldn't find a dry-cleaner that took robots?"

"Eh?" Cait snapped back into his usual character so fast, Zack almost doubted that he saw any difference. "I'm all cleaned up and ready to go. Why do ya ask?"

"Nothing. Come on. I'll show you where the inn is."

*7*7*

"This is it!" Yuffie threw open the doors of the pagoda. "Enter and be amazed!"

Cid glanced in. "Amazed by what?"

Aside from bright red beams and some gold accents, the room did seem a bit ordinary. Cloud stepped inside, noting the large glyph embroidered into the mat covering most of the floor. Another glyph sat inside a frame on the opposite wall.

Yuffie glared at Cid. "Barbarian. Quit judging everything before you even see it."

"Let's just get this over with."

"Halt!"

Everyone turned to look at the old man who blocked their way. He wore green robes and his grey hair was pulled back into a high, short ponytail. There didn't seem to be anything remarkable about him.

"Miss Yuffie, will you be climbing the pagoda today?"

Yuffie grinned. "That's right. And I brought witnesses."

The old man looked over Cloud, Vincent, and Cid. "Hmm. Normally, we only allow one witness per challenger."

"That so? Guess this is your show, kid." Cid clapped Vincent on the shoulder. "Come on, let's see if they've got any decent bars around here."

Yuffie spun around. "HEY! Get back here!"

Vincent paused, but Cid just glared back at Yuffie mid-stride.

Cloud set his hand gently on her shoulder. "It's fine. We'll meet up with them once you get to the top."

"Hmph. Fine." She waited until Cid was halfway down the steps before yelling back. "And I hope they spit in your sake!"

That over with, Yuffie marched to the center of the room. "So are we gonna fight or what?"

The old man coughed in a gesture that seemed to be an attempt at ignoring what had happened after the fact. "Of course. Then I, Sacred Gorky, will be your opponent on the first floor!"

Small footsteps echoed down a set of stairs in the back. A small child appeared at the doorway. "Yo! They call me Shake! I'll be watchin' your fight with Gorky!"

Gorky clapped his hands together. "Then, begin!"

Yuffie lowered herself into a ready stance, but Gorky simply raised his right hand. Cloud felt a shiver run up his spine. He had to resist the urge to jump in to protect Yuffie. This was her fight.

The glyphs glowed and the feeling of impending danger increased.

"Power Change!" Gorky shifted as the light from the glyphs focused on him. When the glow faded, in Gorky's place stood a red and purple demon with a long head and wings.

Cloud recognized it as a valron. They were fairly common near Mt. Nibel. He reached for his sword.

"Stop, Cloud!" Yuffie jumped in front of him as she threw her shuriken. "I have to fight this, got it?"

Cloud nodded and stood back.

Gorky, or rather the monster he turned into, roared as Yuffie's shuriken cut into its shoulder. Again, Cloud had to hold himself back. This time as the monster shot a dark ball of energy out of its mouth.

Yuffie jumped out of the way, but the ball followed her on its slow descent. The moment it touched the ground, it exploded, clipping her foot. Just that small contact was enough to send her to the floor.

The valron spread its wings as it leaped at her. She rolled away, the armor on her left arm catching its claws.

She faked left and jumped right. But she didn't take that moment to attack. Instead, she held her shuriken out in front of her and bowed her head. A bubble formed around her and burst almost as soon as it appeared.

That was all the time she got before Gorky attacked again. She managed to block the talons on his feet but got a bad cut across her face from the claws on his hands.

She pushed him away and ran for the wall. And kept running up it. She threw her shuriken as she reached the ceiling. She grabbed one of the beams running the length of the room and swung down, following the path of her weapon.

The shuriken hit Gorky in the chest. Yuffie landed almost on top of it, pushing it further in. With a twist, she pulled it out and jumped away.

Light filled the room. This time the valron disappeared, leaving Gorky in its place, seemingly uninjured.

Maybe not entirely uninjured. Gorky grunted and leaned forward slightly. "Here I am, Miss Yuffie!"

"Of course!" Yuffie smirked.

"Hmm, I thought you were just a wild girl, but you handled that pretty well!" Shake laughed. "Well, we'll see how well you do on the next one..."

Shake ran upstairs. Yuffie started to follow when Cloud placed a hand on her shoulder.

"'Here I am'?"

Yuffie snorted. "It makes more sense in Wutanese. Just be glad they're speaking a language you understand. These guys are nuts about tradition and stuff."

Cloud nodded distractedly. He still wasn't sure about letting Yuffie face these challenges alone.

*7*7*

Miss Tilmitt usually had a great deal of patience for Reeve Tuesti's eccentric habits. Frequently, she'd end up staying over time because he'd neglected some form or other. Oh, he never ignored anything important. Anything involved with city utilities, resident complaints, or urban improvement got his immediate attention. Other things, particularly requests from Weapons Development, tended to languish while Mr. Tuesti got distracted with other interests.

How someone who liked to tinker with electronics so much ended up heading Urban Development, she'd probably never know.

Still, she began to worry a few days ago when he all but sequestered himself in his office and refused to even go home to sleep. Had the destruction of Sector Seven bothered him that much? She could understand being sad from all that loss of life, but there was no way he could have foreseen terrorists destroying so much of the city. The idea of him being distracted by one of his projects never even crossed her mind. Mr. Tuesti could become hyper-focused, certainly, but when he was building something he always seemed like a small child with a new toy. Lately, he seemed more like an old man.

Until that afternoon when he burst out of his office with his long coat draped over one arm.

"Miss Tilmitt, good, I don't have any appointments today, do I? Cancel them if I do. If anyone calls, tell them that I will be up to my ears in the bath for the rest of the day. Actually, on second thought, just let the phone go to voice mail. Do you mind running an errand of sorts for me?"

The first thing that registered was that he was going to take a bath. About time. The rest took a little longer to process. "What sort of errand, Mr. Tuesti?"

"It's more of a trip, to be honest." He pulled a small piece of paper out of his breast pocket and handed it to her. "The people at this address have two guests. One is a lady by the name of Elmyra Gainsborough, the other a little girl named Marlene. I'd like you to keep an eye on them for a few days. Oh, and you should bring this with you, too."

She took the little... radio? It looked a bit like one of his dolls only with a speaker in its stomach. "I suppose I can, but it would be hard to commute from Kalm."

"Ah, don't worry about that. I'm sure I can manage without you for a few days. This is far more important. Be sure not to tell anyone about them, too. I'm a little concerned about their safety."

That worried her more than anything. "Safety? Sir, what is this about?"

"The planet. If I can, I'll explain more later."

He was gone almost as soon as he spoke.

* * *

_I'm going to skip the next three fights in the pagoda, mainly because they're rather repetitive. This story is long enough without detailing every fight the characters get into. I say that, and yet I add another scene that wasn't in the original game. Call it a trade? Besides, I like Reeve, and he didn't get nearly enough character development in the original game._


	50. Thinking of Others

**Chapter Forty-Nine - Thinking of Others**

Cloud liked this idea of Yuffie's less and less as they went up. Fighting monsters in place of the human guardians was one thing, but Yuffie barely had time to rest between each fight. She certainly refused to take any breaks even though she was visibly worn out. The last fight _started _with her using that healing limit break, oddly named Clear Tranquil.

Not a good sign.

"You have defeated four of our best, but now you will have to face _him_...!"

Cloud jerked slightly at that statement from the last guardian, a man in blue robes named Staniv. All the previous guardians followed him up the stairs to the last level.

Hopefully the last level.

Yuffie started to follow the guardians when she found Cloud standing in front of her.

"Hey, Cloud, what gives?"

"I think you should let me fight this next one."

Yuffie stepped back. "What? No way. No can do. These are my fights, I have to fight them. You're just here as a witness."

"You're tired and injured. I don't want you to die just so we can get some information."

"I'm not going to." She tried to step around him, but he just followed her. "Come on! They're gonna think I chickened out or something!"

Cloud finally stepped out of the way. Though if anything happened to her, he swore he'd finish the fight himself.

"D-dad!"

The four guardians stood along one wall. Under the glyph in the wooden frame stood Lord Godo. He smiled.

"I'm glad you made it this far, Yuffie!"

Yuffie stared at her father as if he had sprouted a second head, or wings. "Why, why are you..."

"I'll answer you by having you try your skills against me!" He flexed, a move that might have been more impressive if he weren't wearing such loose fitting robes. "Hold nothing back. Come as if you're trying to kill me! If you don't... then I'll have to kill you!"

Cloud couldn't believe this. Godo wasn't going to fight his own daughter, was he? Maybe he was missing something. He didn't know anything about Wutai's culture. Not really.

But Yuffie looked just as stunned as he felt.

"H... hey!"

Godo ran toward her. "What are you doing! OMNI-Change!"

As usual the glyphs glowed, blinding Cloud and he assumed everyone else. When he could see again, he gasped.

The previous guardians had turned into monsters that were, if not familiar, at least recognizable. Godo had become something else entirely. A green-skinned giant with four arms and three faces. While he danced around in an almost ridiculous manner, Cloud knew that this fight could not go well for Yuffie.

Godo's head spun, the face that looked like some sort of beast facing Yuffie. An explosion rocked the room.

Yuffie hit the wall with crunch that would have been sickening if it had been anything other than crushed plaster. She jumped off it, shuriken held out in front of her as she slashed as fast as she could at the thing that had taken her father's place.

The gold face spun forward. Yuffie stumbled.

And she shrank.

Mini-Yuffie managed to dodge the next attack, but Cloud knew that at two feet tall, there was little else she could do.

Until she reached into her armor and threw out what looked like a large model rocket engine.

Whatever it was, it exploded into dozens of small balls of fire around Godo.

It didn't seem to have much effect.

More explosive attacks came from the beast-like face. Yuffie dodged a few, but most at least caught her at the edges.

She kept throwing things. Some seemed to be bombs of some sort. Others looked like miniature versions of her shuriken.

More miniature, since her shuriken had shrunk along with her.

One of the things she threw at the giant smelled of poison. That one seemed to have the most effect.

Not a positive one.

The beast face opened its mouth in a soundless roar and Cloud could feel energy collect in the room. It felt similar to the mutated dragon-thing they'd fought on Mount Nibel. He reached for his sword.

"Don't." The one female guardian, Chekhov, stood next to him. "If you interfere, Miss Yuffie forfeits."

Cloud glared at the fight. Electricity crackled over his skin and made his hair stand on end even more than usual. "Better that than losing her life."

"I believe that is for Miss Yuffie to decide."

Cloud turned his attention back to the battle. Yuffie was holding her own, but just barely.

Another blast.

Yuffie used her Clear Tranquil, but it barely seemed to do any good.

Godo waved his secondary arms. From the other side of the room, Cloud could feel the healing magic at work.

So both could heal themselves, but Yuffie was a lot closer to losing.

Yuffie was slowing down, too. More of the attacks were catching her.

She'd managed to return to normal size, somehow, but her own attacks were still too weak.

She threw herself into every move. Dodging, attacking, trying to stay close so that maybe Godo would be caught in one of his own attacks.

It wasn't good enough.

The beast face turned forward and Cloud felt the familiar static build.

No way Yuffie could take another attack like that.

She stood her ground, throwing her shuriken in a vicious arch. With it still in the air, she reached for the last of her graviballs.

Static clung to the air just as something solid rammed into her.

Roll. Slide. Yell. That wasn't her yelling.

She looked up to see the guardians having a fit and a figure caught in the center of an attack that was meant for her.

"You idiot!" She threw the graviball, not really caring who got caught when the spell released.

_She_ was almost caught in it as she ran forward, kicking Cloud hard in the face.

"I told you, this is my fight! I have to finish it!"

"It's already finished." Light filled the room again and Godo returned to his true self. He stumbled forward. "You've... improved..."

Yuffie grinned even as she sank to the floor. "You're not half bad, either."

Godo fell back, laughing.

Yuffie joined him.

*7*7*

It took several minutes, and every bandage the guardians had on hand, before Yuffie and Godo were ready to do much more than complain. At that point, Godo slid open a compartment in the floor and took out a small red materia.

"It's time I gave this to you, Yuffie... This is Leviathan. Take it."

Staniv stepped forward. "But, Lord Godo. The Leviathan Materia should only be given to the person who conquers this pagoda. That is our custom..."

"CUSTOM, CUSTOM, CUSTOM... I'm so sick of hearing that!" Yuffie snatched the materia out of Godo's hand. "It's so stupid!"

Gorky glared at her. "Silence, Miss Yuffie!"

Yuffie glared right back. "Then what 'bout all the rest of you? You have all that power. Are you satisfied being cooped up in here?"

"Yuffie...!" This time Godo added his voice to the protests.

It only served to direct Yuffie's attention to him. "You too, Dad! Just because you lost the war! And turning Wutai into a place like this!"

The room fell silent for a moment before Chekhov cleared her throat. "What do you want to say?"

"You turned Wutai into a cheesy resort town peddling to tourists..." Yuffie shook her head. Her voice shook. "How dare you! Da-Chao and Leviathan are ashamed!"

Shake snorted. "She _is_ a kid."

Yuffie probably would have jumped on the diminutive guardian if she weren't in so much pain. "What did you say?"

"Yuffie!" Godo seemed about to chew Yuffie out, except he sank to his knees and bowed his head. "Forgive me... It's all my fault."

All the guardians looked shocked. Gorky voiced it. "What are you saying, Lord Godo!"

"Losing the war... turning Wutai into this. It was all my fault..."

Chekhov started to protest.

"Silence!" Godo no longer looked apologetic. He looked like a warlord. That is, until he looked back at his daughter. "Yuffie... I am the same now as I was before when I wanted the war. But, after I lost the war, I began to think... Is strength, only for defeating the enemy? ...Or just something to show off to others...? Might begets might. That's the same way as ShinRa..."

Cloud felt like he could understand that, but Yuffie just looked confused.

"I know you were looking for materia for the good of Wutai. But, the reason I hide my strength is also for the good of Wutai. And now, I realize both are necessary... Strength without determination means nothing. And determination without strength is equally useless!" Godo trembled with emotion before standing to face Cloud.

"You there, please take Yuffie with you! I perceive that you have both determination and strength!"

"All right." Cloud nodded, a little stunned but not willing to show it.

Godo smiled and turned to face his daughter again. "Go, Yuffie! For the sake of strengthening Wutai!"

Yuffie walked up to him. "Dad..."

"I'll take care of the Five Sacred Gods until you return!" He put a hand on her shoulder. "Go! And come back alive!"

For a moment, Yuffie just looked stunned. Then she grinned up at him. "Of course!"

A gesture from Godo seemed to indicate that everyone was dismissed. Cloud noticed that Yuffie started to follow but stopped. He assumed there was more family bonding needed and simply left.

Little did he know that Yuffie got her penchant for sticky fingers from her father.

*7*7*

"Hey! Kunsel!" Zack nearly dragged his friend out of the buggy and into a headlock. "Glad to see you in one piece!"

"Not for long. Leggo!" Kunsel pulled away. He ran his hand over his hair, trying to get it back in place. "Are you trying to make me look like Cloud? Anyway, sorry we're late, we ran into trouble on the way."

"Literally," Nanaki added. "I think you should check the trunk. Something smells unpleasant."

Kunsel popped the trunk and nearly gagged. "Oh. Oh man." He pulled out a carton of eggs. A couple of the cups were damp. "I really hope there's a dumpster nearby.

"Around the corner." Zack's voice came out slightly nasally since he was holding his nose.

Kunsel returned a moment later, frowning. "Zack, how would you say Cloud's egg training was going?"

"Great. At least, he hasn't broken anything."

"Yeah. Except he hasn't trained since Cosmo Canyon."

"You're sure?"

Kunsel nodded. "I checked the egg carton. It has the same number of eggs we had when we entered the canyon."

Zack whistled. "That's pretty good for two days. Guess he didn't need it as much as you thought."

"Maybe." Kunsel's expression clearly said he didn't buy that explanation. "I'm going to hit the showers. If the rest of you have any plans for supper, let me know after I get out."

Nanaki went upstairs, too, so he could "rest on something that isn't moving." Cait was off somewhere, as usual, and Tifa was helping Barret clean his gun arm. So when Aerith stepped outside it was the first time she and Zack had been alone together since searching for Tifa.

"How are you?"

Zack shrugged. "Pretty good. A little worried about how Cloud's doing, I guess."

"Isn't that pretty much a constant with you?" At Zack's puzzled look, Aerith continued. "You're always worried about Cloud, or Tifa, or me. Don't you ever think about yourself?"

"Sure I do." Zack looked up at the sky. It was starting to darken as the sun sank toward Wutai. "I've spent a lot of time thinking how cool I look in a SOLDIER uniform, trying to impress people, catching the attention of pretty girls..." He grinned down at Aerith. "One girl in particular, recently."

"Hmm. You'll have to introduce me some time." Aerith tossed her braid as she looked at Zack out of the corner of her eye. "But that sounds like you when we first met. What about now?"

Zack thought for a while, then scratched the back of his head. "Well, I, uh... think I'm really hungry?"

Aerith laughed. He loved the sound of her laugh. Especially when he brought it out.

"We'll have to do something about that once we can get everyone in one place. Anyway, I wanted to ask you what you and Tifa were talking about after I left."

Part of Zack wanted to laugh and tease her for being jealous. Another part reminded him that he'd been an enormous flirt most of his life, including the almost two years he'd known Aerith before Nibelheim. A third part remembered how depressed Tifa had been and simply couldn't make fun of that.

"She asked about Cloud."

Aerith's smile was faint, but definitely there. "With the two of you worrying about him, I can't imagine how he could ever get into trouble."

"Worry never stopped me from getting into trouble." Zack smiled and wrapped an arm around Aerith's shoulders. "Maybe it has something to do with the quality of the worry."

"Oh?" Aerith's voice turned teasing. "Isn't my worry good enough?"

"I don't know. It brought me back, didn't it?"

"Then I guess I'll just have to worry a lot more." Aerith buried her head in his shoulder and closed her eyes.

* * *

_And you thought I forgot about the egg bit. HA!_

_Actually, I did forget. But it turned into such a great plot point! You'll see what I mean next chapter._

_You know, I always wondered about Staniv's objection being that the materia goes to "the person who conquers this pagoda." Didn't Yuffie just do that? So I had a little outside interference. It fits with Cloud's personality, anyway. This Cloud, that is. Game!Cloud was still in his I-don't-give-a-rip-about-anyone stage during this sidequest. I sometimes wonder if some of the guilt Cloud had during Advent Children was not just because of the deaths he failed to prevent, but at how he'd been such a monumental jerk._


	51. Doubts

A/N: I made a very small modification to "Chapter Forty-Eight - Fighting." I realized I neglected to have Zack use a limit break after Kunsel pointed out that he had sort of a time limit after a set of reviews from FullMentalPanic. So I kinda implied the use of one when Zack rescued Tifa from the crown lances. (I feel really stupid about that, too. I thought I included one in an earlier fight but I guess it got lost in editing.)

* * *

**Chapter Fifty - Doubts**

Cid grumbled, loudly, at getting stuck with Yuffie again. Until he found out she came with a room for the night in the palace and a ride back to the Tiny Bronco. Since then, he'd been almost friendly with the little thief.

The change in attitude confused Cloud, though he was just as glad that he didn't have to deal with Cid's complaints any more. That job seemed to have fallen to Vincent and Godo, both of whom, Cid was quick to learn, had a taste for well-brewed tea.

"Best damn tea on the planet. They oughta be selling this stuff instead of those tacky statues. Cigars ain't half bad, either, though I still prefer my own smokes."

Cloud almost smiled at remember what Cid had told him right after dinner. Almost, because the act of remembering brought another conversation to mind. On that he had soon after he found out they'd be spending the night.

_"That's cool. We're staying in Hel right now. Surprisingly nice place."_

_Cloud snorted. "So where should we meet?"_

_"Dunno. We can figure that out tomorrow. Say, I take it your egg training went well."_

_"My what?"_

_"You know, carrying an egg around to learn how to control your strength."_

_"... No, I don't know."_

_Zack's pause was even longer than Cloud's. "You don't?"_

_"No."_

_An even longer pause. "Oh."_

Neither of them said much after that and the conversation ended with an extremely awkward promise to keep in touch. Cloud settled back into the futon and tried not to think about it too hard.

Easier said than done. Yuffie had her own room and Cid was still off somewhere, probably enjoying tea and tobacco with Godo. Vincent might have been with them, or maybe off somewhere else. Cloud couldn't really tell if the man even needed sleep. Or food, for that matter.

Which left Cloud alone with his thoughts. He might have gone to find one of his companions to keep him company, but he didn't want to spoil their good time or look weak.

He fingered the little hair clip he'd picked up in town on the way to finding Cid and Vincent. Most of it was dark blue and black set in wavy lines that looked almost like water. Pink petal shapes dusted one side. Yuffie had said that they were supposed to represent cherry blossoms.

He didn't know if that was significant or not, just that the clip made him think of Tifa. He hoped she wouldn't mind getting a solstice present so late.

Even that couldn't distract him for long.

_I'm forgetting things._

_Just that one thing._

_Five years._

_Since when have I been ambidextrous?_

_Is Zack hiding something?_

_Those nightmares. I'd never do those things._

_What happened?_

*7*7*

_Everything seemed distorted. Like looking through hot air over a road. His vision went fuzzy at the edges. What was he doing here?_

_His house. Familiar. Distorted. A voice. Familiar but not really heard._

_"Mom?"_

_She was there. Alive. "Why are you standing there? Help me with the table."_

_"But... you're dead."_

_"Did you have a bad dream?"_

_Yes? No? What was real? He looked up at her. Wasn't he taller now? He was too tired to think._

_"I saw you die."_

_"Sounds scary. But you can see I'm fine."_

_"Mom, I'm sor-"_

_She was gone._

_He ran outside. Nibelheim. Dark. Distorted. Empty._

_He ran. His legs moved. He didn't. Somehow, he ended up on the mountain, though he didn't recognize where._

_Something was there. Something chasing him. He couldn't run. He had to go on all fours just to move at a reasonable pace._

_Tunnels. Twisting. Dark. Damp._

_Danger. Closer. Invisible._

_It could see him._

_A door. He dove through._

_Storage room. Shelves of boxes. Places to hide._

_Places for the thing to hide._

_Darkness. Couldn't see. It could see._

_He felt it. Closer. Had to get away. Hide._

_Another door. He opened it. He didn't want to. Could feel that it was bad. His body moved on its own._

_Green light. Blinding. Drowning._

_It was there._

_Nowhere to run. Blind. Green. He felt in front of him. Nothing._

_A wall. Smooth. Glass._

_It was getting closer. The light was fading._

_Then the wall was gone and he was falling._

*7*7*

Cloud managed to pry his eyes open as voices, particularly Cid's, drifted through his nightmare induced fog. He added some of his own curses under his breath when he realized how late it was.

Late for him. Yuffie stumbled into his room rubbing sleep from her eyes. "Hey, Cloud. Want breakfast? I could have the guards put Cid on a spit over the fire."

"That's..." How was he supposed to respond to that? He was too tired and confused to think of anything coherent.

Yuffie didn't seem to notice or care. "Someone will send a tray in. Eat whatever you want. Get seconds. Boss people around." Giant yawn. "Live it up while you can."

Then he was alone again. Despite his stomach's cries to be fed, he decided he'd rather see what had Cid angrier than usual.

It didn't take long to find Cid glaring at a tranquil koi pond and mutilating a spent cigarette butt between his teeth.

"I believe this places is for calming the nerves."

Cloud nearly jumped out of his skin when Vincent's voice materialized behind him. It was far too easy to take Yuffie's claim that he was a vampire seriously.

And Cloud was fairly certain that vampires didn't exist.

Cid glared at both of them, completely unfazed by Vincent's sudden appearance. "That's what I'm tryin' to do." He took the butt out of his mouth, glared at it as if it had betrayed him, looked around, then jammed it back in his mouth. "I'm gonna go find an ashtray."

After Cid stormed off, Cloud turned to Vincent. "What's going on?"

"The vehicle we were going to take has a flat tire."

Cloud blinked. "So?"

"There does not seem to be a working jack available and it is the only transportation capable of carrying all of us and the supplies Lord Godo needs delivered."

"Oh." Cloud was about to offer a suggestion, but his stomach beat him to it.

Vincent raised an eyebrow at the noise. No other comment came, none was necessary. Cloud excused himself and headed back to his room.

As Yuffie promised, a full breakfast tray was waiting for him. At least, he assumed it was a breakfast tray. The assortment of items seemed extremely strange to him. Some sort of soup, a covered bowl with... dumplings?... inside, smoked fish, a bowl of rice, something that smelled like over-ripe cheese and looked like beans covered in snot, a lot of pickled... things... and a cup of what Cloud assumed to be the green tea Cid had been talking about. Except it wasn't green, more of an earthy brown.

Just to make things more complicated, there were no forks or spoons to be seen. Just a pair of chopsticks.

How was he supposed to eat soup with chopsticks?

At least no one was around to watch.

*7*7*

The breakfast hadn't been particularly filling. It tasted odd, too, and it took a lot of scrounging around to find something that could remove the combination of salt, spice, and whatever one called that bean-snot taste from his mouth.

Cloud sighed. His search hadn't been helped by Yuffie teasing him about being a barbarian and his own desire not to offend anyone. But he got food in him that tasted normal at the end, so it worked out.

Now he stood by the street below the palace looking at the covered truck that was their only transportation out. Nearby, Cid swore at the driver, who seemed to be swearing back in Wutanese.

It was just a flat tire.

"All we need is to lift this corner of the truck, right?"

Cid scoffed at Cloud's question. "Sure. Trouble is there ain't a workin' jack around." He glared at the driver. Whether he was angrier at possibly having to walk or that the other man hadn't properly maintained his machine couldn't be determined.

"I not happy, either." The driver met and matched Cid's accusing eyes. "Nothing do now."

Cloud leaned down and grabbed the underside of the wheel well. He wasn't quite sure if he was surprised by how easy it was or how hard it was. Either way, the wheel left the ground.

Cid swore. "Why didn't ya say ya could do that?"

"I wasn't sure." Cloud looked over at the driver, who seemed to be imitating a fish. "If you aren't ready, I'll put it down."

"Nani? Oh. So sorry. Will start now."

Once he got to work, changing the tire took hardly any time at all. Cloud was fairly certain he could have held that corner up quite a bit longer, if needed.

He was just as glad he didn't have to.

Yuffie climbed into the front passenger seat. "Gawds, I hate this. Why can't they invent a truck that doesn't bounce?"

"Just suck it up. Ya thinkin' about it is what's makin' ya sick in the first place."

Cloud frowned at Cid's back as he followed the pilot onto the back of the truck. Part of him, whether actually him or part of the dreams he couldn't tell, wanted to place himself so that Cid would get the full force of his upset stomach.

He shook his head and opted for finding as comfortable a spot as possible.

*7*7*

The inn didn't let more than three people share a room, and apparently counted Cait Sith and Nanaki as 'people' for these purposes. Barret ended up with those two. He grumbled about the arrangement, but mainly because Zack justified it by saying that they wouldn't be as bothered by his snoring.

Which left Aerith and Tifa together in another room and Kunsel and Zack in the one across the hall. Zack started to wonder if he'd rather sleep in Barret's room when Kunsel brought up a stack of books to read.

"Can't you do that some other time?"

Kunsel glanced up from the log book he'd selected. "When? In the buggy or while fighting monsters?"

"Good point." Zack flopped back on the bed. He watched the ceiling fan for a while before Kunsel spoke again.

"Did you ever find out how Tifa got out of the reactor?"

Zack propped himself up on one elbow. "No. I don't think she knows, either. Why?"

Kunsel waved to the log book he'd been reading. "There's a large section in here cataloging the people they took as specimens. There aren't any names, and the descriptions are pretty generic, but one of them comes pretty close to matching Tifa."

"You aren't suggesting...? No. No way!" Zack sat all the way up. "Tifa is not one of those zombie guys. She makes sense when she talks, for one thing, and in case you haven't noticed, her clothes don't really cover much. I think we'd notice a numbered tattoo."

"I'm not saying she's a zombie!" Kunsel took a deep breath before continuing. "Look, it just seems weird that she'd be bleeding to death in the Nibelheim five years ago and suddenly end up in Midgar alive and well. Especially if she doesn't know how she got there."

Zack remembered the guy Aerith showed him, the one with mako poisoning living in a pipe. He'd had a tattoo. How many of them where there? And where?

But Tifa couldn't be one. She didn't have a tattoo.

Then again, neither did he and Cloud.

"Her eyes don't glow," Zack said, slowly.

Kunsel nodded. "I know. And I don't want to sound like we shouldn't trust her or anything like that. I'm just trying to find answers. Hopefully answers that will help us fix this mess we're in."

"Yeah. I know. It's just hard. I don't like even thinking about that place."

"Can't blame you. That place started to give me the creeps with just Nanaki for company."

Zack chuckled. "Not exactly a ray of sunshine, huh?"

"He takes everything seriously. Sometimes I think Cloud might have more of a sense of humor."

Zack just grunted and announced that he was going to sleep.

*7*7*

_How did he get here? Forest. Fighting. Monsters._

_No weapon. Losing._

_Dragged down. Darkness._

_A cave. Familiar voices, but he couldn't make out the words. He couldn't tell who they were._

_He sat up. A wolf looked at him._

_The wolf disappeared down a tunnel._

_He tried to follow. Had to pull himself along._

_A voice. Cloud. Cloud was here. He wasn't supposed to be here._

_The labs. The path bent and twisted._

_Cloud had been here. He had to find Cloud._

_Scared. Confused. Cloud had been here, too._

_Just missed him. So many times, just missed him._

_One step too late._

_Hang on. Hang on._

_There. Cloud stood facing away from him. Tried to run. Couldn't. Reached out._

_White feathers. Cloud was gone._

_Cloud's voice. "We're monsters."_

_"No! We're not monsters! YOU'RE NOT a monster! Listen to me!"_

_"Cloud!"_

_"CLOUD!"_

*7*7*

Zack moaned as he fought against his own body's desire to stay asleep. Why did nightmares leave him so physically drained? Weren't they just in his head?

Not much he could do about that. He had friends counting on him to lead them.

* * *

_This chapter is just a little bit longer than usual because I thought it'd be best to end with Zack's dream rather than start the next chapter with it. Makes things a little less confusing. I hope. Anyway, I debated for a while about including a nightmare sequence for Zack, but then I thought it'd be a good idea to show that he really has been affected by the last 5-7 years. I don't agree with authors who make Zack all grumpy and depressed in their 'Zack survives' stories even if I do enjoy the stories themselves. He's way too congenitally cheerful to stay in a dark mood for long. But that's not to say he isn't affected, he's just way more emotionally durable than Cloud._


	52. Tengenjutsu

**Chapter Fifty-One - Tengen-jutsu**

The driver let Cloud and the others off at the foot of a hill in a wooded area near Fort Tamblin. Godo had told them that if anyone in Wutai knew where the Temple of the Ancients might be, it would be the high priestess of Leviathan.

"Temple up that way." The driver pointed up a winding path of stone steps set into the hillside. "I finish delivery, wait return."

Cloud nodded and led the party up through the trees. They walked in silence for a while, even Yuffie seemed unwilling to break the stillness.

So it came as a mild surprise when Cid spoke up. "Place gives me the creeps."

Yuffie sniffed and kept walking. Vincent only glanced back when Cloud stopped.

"What do you mean?"

Cid looked at Cloud. "It's too quiet. Kinda reminds me of my Great-Aunt Margaret's place. I couldn't even breath in some rooms for fear I'd break something and get my hide tanned by her carpet beater."

"Huh." Of course, Cloud could tell it was quiet, but it affected him differently. It felt familiar, in a different way than the drive past Fort Tamblin. That had left him with a disturbing sense of deja vu. He was sure he'd never been there, yet he recognized it, and was certain that something bad had happened.

This hill felt more like home than his real home ever had. And the peace radiating out of the earth wouldn't let him feel guilty for that.

A couple steps above them, Yuffie sniffed. "This is a sacred place. Break anything and you're gonna have way more problems than some old lady with a stick."

"Heh. You never met my great-aunt. The woman could beat manners and respect into a wild dog. Didn't take guff from nobody."

"Guess you didn't spend much time with her, huh?"

"What was that?"

"Stop." Cloud stepped between Cid and Yuffie. "We don't have time to argue right now."

Cid looked like he was about to argue the point, but settled for sending Yuffie a scathing glare. Both of them scowled like children as they continued the long climb up.

Further up, Cloud stopped. Near the path sat a rock with a rope tied around it. Paper tassels hung from the rope. He looked around and noticed a small dirt track leading off into the forest and another rock with the same rope and tassel decoration.

"Hey, Cloud! What's the hold up?"

Cloud looked up at Yuffie and shook his head. "Nothing. Just... What's that?"

"Huh?" Yuffie turned to see what Cloud had pointed out. On the other side of the path and a little further uphill sat a brightly painted birdhouse. Or so it would seem to most people. Even if the rope and tassels decoration hadn't been hung around the base, Yuffie would have recognized it. "That's a shrine for the local kami. You know, spirits and stuff."

"Ain't that what materia's for?"

Yuffie glared at Cid. "Not all spirits become summons. Leviathan chose this so he could come to our aid if we need him."

Cid waved her off. "Yeah, sure. Seemed like ya could've used his help durin' the war."

Yuffie fumed, but refrained from spouting off at Cid mainly because of the creepy glare she was getting from Vincent. Eventually the stairs flattened into a smooth cobbled lane flanked by a tall fence. The way through was protected by a thatched roof.

Out of the shelter of the trees, everyone except Vincent squinted in the afternoon sunlight. Yuffie pointed them to a fountain equipped with several long, wooden ladles where they had to purify their hands and mouths before going further.

Surprisingly, Cid didn't complain, probably because it was the first chance any of them had to see Vincent's hands. Yuffie expressed a certain level of disappointment that his hands looked so ordinary. Right before screaming at Cid for gargling.

"Yuffie-hime."

Everyone turned at the voice. Yuffie squealed and tackled the young woman in white and red robes who had appeared behind them. Both chatted rapidly in Wutanese before Yuffie remembered, or was reminded, that she had guests with her.

"Everyone, this my cousin, Izayoi, high priestess of Leviathan. Izayoi, this is Cloud, Vincent, and Cid."

Cloud and Vincent nodded their greetings while Cid thumbed his goggles up slightly.

"So the high priestess is greetin' us personally, huh? Well, that saves us the trouble of searchin' the whole temple for ya."

Yuffie started to tell Cid off, but Izayoi intercepted. "It's part of a priestess's duties to see to the needs of guests. Besides, I have been expecting you."

"Eh? What? You got some sort of mystic crystal ball or somethin'?"

Izayoi gave Cid a wry smile. "Something like that. In this case, it's called a telephone. My uncle called to let me know you would be coming. You wish to find the Temple of the Ancients?"

Cloud nodded.

"Then I'm afraid you are going the wrong way."

Cid let loose an impressive stream of expletives that Izayoi expertly ignored. Even so, Cloud attempted to apologize for his behavior.

"You know where it is?" Vincent, naturally enough, managed to stay on topic.

"Not really. Only that it is west of here. But then, I performed the reading without the customers present. If you wish, I can try again."

"'Reading'?" Cid looked incredulous. "You findin' this temple or tellin' our damn fortunes?"

"Yes. The process is similar for both."

"Yeah!" Yuffie piped up. "Kinda like what Cait said when we first met him. Right, Cloud?"

Cloud nodded, though he didn't feel as enthusiastic about the memory as Yuffie seemed to.

Izayoi glanced at Cloud for barely a moment before turning toward one of the buildings. "I see. Then there should be less to explain. Please follow me and leave your shoes on the rack by the entrance. Oh, and, Cid-san, if you would please refrain from smoking while on the temple grounds."

"_tch _It's gettin' so a guy can't smoke anywhere." He dropped the half-spent cigarette on the cobbled path and ground it under his boot.

Yuffie just about stuck her finger up Cid's nose as she pointed at him. "Litter bug! Throw that away properly!"

Cid glared down at the little ninja. "Git outta my face, brat. I ain't about to put it in my pocket and wait for a trash can to pop up."

"Perhaps I should apologize for the trouble you've undoubtedly gone through traveling with my cousin." Izayoi looked anything but apologetic as she spoke to Cloud. "She is extremely passionate and strong-willed."

"That's not a bad thing," Cloud said, watching Vincent take Yuffie by the back of her shirt and drag her away from what was escalating toward a full on fight.

"No." Izayoi laughed. "In fact, those two things are what I admire most about her. With time, she may even learn wisdom and patience. Things I failed to teach her when she was a child."

For some reason, the image of a much smaller Yuffie dramatically 'guarding' the inner courtyard of Fort Tamblin came to mind. He tried to dismiss it as just remembering the stories Yuffie told, but he still wondered why that image seemed so clear.

It took a lot of arguing and complaining, but eventually everyone made it inside the offering hall. Cid squirmed about as he tried to find a comfortable way to sit on his legs. Izayoi looked about as close to exasperated as they'd seen her so far when she told Cid that he could sit however he liked.

Cloud had to wonder how anyone was able to sit like that comfortably. Vincent didn't seem to have any trouble, but then that was Vincent. It took all of Cloud's self-control not to fidget as Cid had.

They sat in a semi-circle in front of a low offering table below a mural of Leviathan. Izayoi clapped her hands twice, lit some incense ("and I'm not allowed to smoke?" "SHHH!"), bowed, and clapped her hands twice more before turning to face her guests.

Cloud hadn't seen where she got them, but she held a small dish of water and a four-legged, metal support for a pendulum that hung from where the legs met. The jewel in the pendulum glowed a soft green similar to materia. Yuffie's eyes lit up the moment she saw it.

Izayoi set the pendulum over the water dish. She waited for both to settle down before speaking.

"You wish to find a place called the Temple of the Ancients. Is there anything else you know about it besides the name?"

"It ain't here."

Cloud swore to himself never to make Izayoi upset. Anyone who could make Cid shrink back with a look was not to be trifled with.

Vincent volunteered the next item. "ShinRa is also looking for it."

Izayoi kept her eyes on the pendulum. Its movements seemed random to everyone except her. "No. ShinRa knows where it is." Her hand went up for silence before Cid or Yuffie could protest. "Let us try a different question. How do you plan to get in?"

"The door?" Yuffie offered.

"Then you will need a key." The pendulum arced eastward. It's movements continued to favor that direction. "East, jungle, rocky hills, coastline." Izayoi looked up from the bowl. "I'm sorry. That's all I can see."

"Great. That narrows it down to just a few thousand square miles." Cid ignored decorum and Yuffie's glare as he stood up. "So're we done here?"

"Almost." Izayoi expertly ignored Cid's lack of respect. "If it's all right, I would like to have a word with Cloud-dono in private."

Cloud felt uncomfortable as everyone looked at him. "Uh. Right. The rest of you can head down, I'll catch up."

Vincent nodded, Cid huffed, and Yuffie spent an uncomfortable amount of time saying goodbye to her cousin in Wutanese.

Uncomfortable for Cloud, that is. He felt a bit like when he was in the infantry and one of his superior officers would order him out of formation for a 'talk.'

So he sat frozen in place while Izayoi cleared away her tools.

"This Cait my cousin mentioned, did he tell your fortune?"

Cloud nodded, his mouth too dry to speak.

"What method did he use?"

"Little slips of paper." Cloud cleared his throat. "Mostly fortune cookie stuff."

"Mostly? Did you keep the fortunes?"

That brought a frown to his face. He couldn't remember throwing them away, but that didn't mean much. Searching his pockets, he pulled out several odds and ends of things, including the crumpled and blood-stained remains of Cait's predictions.

Izayoi grimaced at the mess even as she tried to read them. "Omikuji. Well done, but inexperienced." She frowned at the black slip. "I was afraid of that."

Cloud hadn't realized his body could get any more tense until that moment. "What is it?"

"I believe your friend, Cait, would call this a geis. Essentially, it's like both a spell and a fortune. In this case, more like a curse."

"Curse? Wh... what..."

"'What you pursue will be yours. But you will lose something dear.' I can't say for certain what this means without doing a reading for you."

So that was why she wanted to talk to him alone. But that opened another question. "Why are you doing this? I'm not even Wutanese."

Izayoi smiled at him. "Godo-sama left Yuffie-hime in your care, correct?"

Cloud thought for a moment before nodding.

"My uncle has good sense and has the best interests of his daughter at heart no matter what he may say. I, too, wish the best for my cousin, and I have access to knowledge that my uncle does not."

"Oh." Cloud dropped his gaze to his knees. "You think... I might put Yuffie in danger."

Izayoi set a board between them that had several rings of symbols on it. To the sides she placed a black stone with a hollowed out section, a brush, a small cup of water, a black stick, and several sheets of paper. She poured a small amount of water into the hollow of the stone and rubbed the stick across the stone's surface.

"I do not think you would put her in danger intentionally. As I said, my uncle has good sense. Also, I can tell just by looking at you that you are a protector by nature." She sat up, brush in hand. "Now we can begin. What is your date of birth?"

"Eighth month... eleventh... 1986?" Cloud turned his head to one side and frowned. It shouldn't have been that hard to remember his birthday.

Izayoi looked at him with her brush frozen over the paper. A drop of ink fell just before she set it down and reached to grab Cloud's chin. His eyes went wide as she pulled his head forward.

"Relax, please. Hmm." She let him go. "I don't suppose you know what hour you were born."

Cloud shook his head.

Izayoi frowned. "Fate has not been kind to you." She took up her brush again and wrote something in Wutanese. "What is your family name?"

"Strife."

"Of course it is. You're a very conflicted person. The name suits you. For good or ill, you will change the world. You're purpose is to protect. It's such a strong purpose that it is the one thing that will remain should you lose everything else." She looked up at him, an odd expression on her face. "Failure to protect others almost killed you once."

Cloud winced. He wanted to leave right then, but it would be rude and he wasn't sure he could unfold himself fast enough to escape a lecture.

If Izayoi noticed, she didn't say anything. "You remind me of a wolf. Loyal, protector, a kind and gentle soul hidden beneath a wild exterior."

"That doesn't say anything about the curse." Cloud's feet were starting to fall asleep and he was growing increasingly uncomfortable with what Izayoi was saying about him.

"Actually, it does." She looked at him, and Cloud couldn't resist the shiver that ran down his spin at the sadness in her face. "Someone close to you is going to die."

Cloud shot to his feet, the awkward position and spreading discomfort completely forgotten. "No! That's... There's gotta be a way to break the curse!"

"A geis cannot be broken. One of your friends has already cheated death once." Izayoi remained unmoved in the face of Cloud's outburst. "However, it might be redirected. Is there anything you hold dear besides your companions?"

An image of Tifa bleeding on the floor of the Nibelheim reactor flashed through his mind. Cloud pulled back on his emotions and sat down. This time in a far more comfortable position. He couldn't think about the proper way to sit while trying to answer her question.

Especially as a growing horror came over him at his answer. "No." Every personal possession he had either went up in flames along with Nibelheim or had been left at the infantry barracks. Those were probably in a land fill or warehouse by now. All he had were his clothes, which weren't really his, and his friends.

"I see." Izayoi looked anything but surprised at his answer. "You are not going to like this, but I believe it is the only way. You must give up the relationships you have with your companions."

Cloud swallowed in a vain attempt to get his internal organs to stop rearranging themselves. He had thought about leaving and now... "For good?"

"I do not know. Perhaps the fate of your friends cannot be changed and your leaving will be in vain. Perhaps you will die in their place. Perhaps what you seek will create such a rift between you that no power can bring you back together. Because of this, I will not ask you to leave right away. However, you must as soon as you find yourself drawing close to your goal. The longer you put it off, the more danger everyone around you will be in."

"I understand." He rose to his feet a lot slower than last time, almost hesitant to go outside. "I should tell them I'm not coming."

Izayoi stood as well. "Yuffie-hime is still in your care. First you should see to it that she is reunited with your companions."

Leaving just got a lot harder.

* * *

_And I finally get around to the big change in the plot! Whoo! Hope Cloud's fortune telling scene wasn't too long. I just couldn't find a way to shorten it with all the plot-relevant stuff going on. Just so you know, I didn't make up the high priestess's name. I got her name and the very idea of her character from the FFVII Ultimania Early Material Files. Gotta love online translations._

_And some notes:_

_Tenge-jutsu is a Japanese fortune telling method. I wasn't able to find much information about it, so I spliced together a bunch of stuff I was able to get information on that included elements of what this method uses._

_Shinto shrines have a hall for worshipers to be seated (haiden) and a hall for offerings (heiden). I get the impression that these two are usually connected. The place where the god resides is often a building called a honden. I couldn't fit it into this chapter, but the Leviathan Temple doesn't have a honden. Instead, there's a sacred spring where Leviathan lived before taking up residence in the materia. Functionally, I suppose that would make it a yorishiro, though I couldn't find any references to bodies of water serving that fuction. Swords, mirrors, trees, rocks... but not bodies of water._

_Omikuji are little strips of paper with fortunes on them found at temples and shrines in Japan. They're mostly for predicting luck. The idea is to tie the fortune to a tree branch so the good fortune will come true or the bad fortune won't. Looks like Cait put something a little extra in by mistake._

_Geis comes from Celtic, specifically Gaelic, tradition. It is most definitely not a reference to Code Geass. You know that bit in MacBeth where the Weird Sisters tell MacBeth that "none of woman born shall harm Macbeth" and that he won't be defeated until Birnam Wood marches on Dunsinane? That was an example of a geis._


	53. Breaking the Fellowship

**Chapter Fifty-Two - Breaking of the Fellowship**

"Huh. You know, I think I might know where that is. Yeah, small world, huh? Anyway, you think the Tiny Bronco can make it to Gongaga? Well, yeah, obviously not all the way to Gongaga, but there's a bit of coastline east of there... Uh-huh. Cid would know. So see you in a couple days."

Zack closed his phone and looked across at Kunsel. "Cloud has a lead on the temple."

Kunsel didn't take his eyes off the road. "I heard. Figures it'd be near Gongaga."

"Well, the actual temple might not be there. The priestess they talked to gave them directions for finding the way to get into the temple."

"I don't suppose we know what we're looking for? A map? A key? A teleporter?"

Zack stared at the side of Kunsel's face until Kunsel glanced over at him and shrugged. "Didn't get much sleep."

"Never would've guessed. Want me to take the wheel for a while?"

Kunsel laughed. "Like I'd be able to sleep with you driving."

"Hey, I'm not that bad." Zack took a look back. "Well, never mind. Aerith and Tifa are both out and I wouldn't want to wake them."

"They did help out a lot with those sahagins back there."

"And the skeeskee that tried to sneak up on us afterward." Zack chuckled. "I've never seen anyone apologize for hitting a monster over the head."

"I think she was apologizing more for screaming while hitting it. Remind me never to sneak up on Aerith. Ever."

Zack laughed before covering his mouth and checking to make sure he hadn't woken either of the girls. "So, should we camp in the hills outside Gongaga or crash at my parents' again?"

"ShinRa might know about this way in, too, so I think we should avoid the town. Best not to press our luck any further than necessary."

"Yeah. Aerith is going to be pretty disappointed, though. She really likes my mom."

*7*7*

"You're not smoking!"

"Don't $&^% tell me what to do on my $^%& plane!"

"I will unless you want me to barf all over your plane!"

"Stuck up brat!"

Cloud did his best to block out the argument going on at the front of the plane. He certainly had enough to think about, usually ignoring everyone wouldn't be a problem.

Except he really didn't want to think about what he had to think about. Listening to Yuffie and Cid bicker, until Vincent stepped in with a glare that could freeze Gongaga in the middle of summer, seemed pleasant in comparison.

Especially since he might not get to listen to them for much longer.

How much longer was one of the many things he was struggling with. He'd promised Izayoi to see Yuffie safely back to the rest of the group, so another day at least. But how was he going to slip away then? Everything he came up with ended with Zack and Tifa leading a search party to find him. He had to find a way to leave without that happening. Preferably something that didn't involve him telling anyone why he had to leave.

There was no way anyone would let him leave after that. They were too forgiving, too self-sacrificing for their own good. He would not let any of them die because of him.

"You're troubled."

Cloud jumped at Vincent's voice. How the man managed to walk without making a sound in those armored boots scared Cloud more than just about everything else about him.

Vincent didn't react, he'd probably grown accustomed to people jumping around him. "I don't care what it's about, but if it affects your ability to lead us..."

"It won't." Cloud met Vincent's cold gaze with an icy one of his own. He would not be intimidated. "I'm only leader until we meet up with Zack and the others. I can handle it."

"Good."

*7*7*

Cid glowered at the buggy before rounding on the rest of the team. "Which of you yahoos is responsible for this?"

At average height, the only human male shorter than Cid was Cloud. Still, everyone, even Barret, backed away from Kunsel. For his own part, Kunsel raised his hands in defense.

"We were attacked! Several times!"

"Yeah, well we ain't goin' nowhere in this thing 'til I give it a good once over. Y'all stay here and don't touch anythin'!"

Barret glared at Cid's back as the pilot stormed down the beach to the Tiny Bronco. "What crawled up his ass?"

Zack shrugged. "What hasn't?"

Behind them, Cloud motioned for Tifa to step away from the group with him. She felt a little apprehensive about it. He shifted nervously and wouldn't look at her.

"Is something wrong?"

"Tifa... I know it's late and now might not be a good time but..." He held out a brightly colored bag with Wutanese symbols running down one side.

She looked from the bag to him. He had his face turned away from her. The gesture reminded her of something, but she couldn't be sure what. "Cloud? What's this for?"

"Solstice. It's okay if you don't want..."

"Of course I do." Tifa took the bag and opened it. Inside sat a little oval hair clip. A traditional Wutanese water pattern dominated the surface with a faint dusting of cherry blossoms along the top edge. She looked back at Cloud. He had dropped his arm but still stubbornly refused to look at her. "It's beautiful."

He turned just enough so he could glance at her from the corner of his eye. "You don't mind?"

"No. Why would I mind?"

The only answer she got was a shrug.

*7*7*

_Children milling about, all excited. All except one who never even came inside._

_So many presents. Bright ribbons and tissue. Except one small box wrapped in brown paper._

_All the presents were handed to her from the children who brought them. Except that one._

_It appeared on her doorstep after everyone left for home._

*7*7*

"Tifa. Hey." Barret's voice roused her out of the memory-dream.

Still groggy, she yawned before answering. "Is it my shift already?"

"No, it's jes' Cloud wen' ta use the toilet and hasn't come back. I want ya ta keep watch while I look fer him."

Tifa nodded even though she wanted to look for him, too. What could have snuck up on Cloud and defeated him without a sound?

*7*7*

He was afraid of that. Sure, he could avoid detection easily enough, but Barret was stubborn and just might get lost looking for him. He was leaving to avoid putting his friends in danger, not lead them into it.

When had he started thinking of Barret as a friend?

Probably around the time when he started thinking of people other than Zack and Tifa as friends.

Nothing to do about that now. He slipped out of the bushes behind Barret.

"What are you doing here?"

Barret spun around, gun arm halfway up. "Cloud? Damn, can't see under all'a these trees. Where ya been?"

"Behind a bush. Why?"

"Ya was takin' too long! Thought som'in' mighta eatin' ya."

Cloud shrugged. "Sorry."

"hmph Jes' head on back. And try to find a closer spot next time."

Cloud didn't sleep much the rest of that night. Bits and pieces of strategies and contingency plans flitted through his head. None of them satisfactory.

Sneaking off in the middle of the night had seemed like his best bet, but he had been counting on not being seen. He thought Barret was the least observant. Disappearing during his own watch was out of the question. It was irresponsible and cowardly.

The whole thing felt cowardly. Staying, leaving, no matter what he did he felt like he was running away.

Dawn spread over the jungle before he decided that he just had to wait and look for an opportunity. Izayoi had said that he had to leave when he felt he was getting close to what he was looking for. Maybe he still had some time.

*7*7*

The view from the sea cliff was, at the risk of sounding cliche, breathtaking. Literally, with the wind factored in. Aerith took one step toward the rocky ledge before gasping and almost jumping back into Zack's arms.

"It's like the wind is trying to suck me off the edge!"

Zack tried, and failed, to repress a chuckle. "Nah, it's just that the wind is coming off the land this time of day. You get here in the morning and the wind is going the other way."

"Hmm. It's a little scary."

"It's okay to be scared." Zack hugged her tighter and turned to the others behind them. "You guys can do what you like, there's something I want to show Aerith."

Barret waved his good hand. "Fine! Jes' don' ferget what we're here ta do."

Cid snorted. "We'll be luck if they remember we're even here once they're outta sight."

"Wha... Eeeew! Can't they save that for an inn or something?"

Aerith turned deeper shades of red until Zack led her out of earshot.

"It's not far. There!"

Following the line of Zack's arm and finger, she gasped. Barely a few yards in front of them a small stream rose from the edge of the cliff in a frothy spray. "How does it do that!"

"There's always an updraft at the edge. Little streams like that one get caught in it so they look like they're flowing up."

"It's beautiful." Aerith leaned into Zack. "But it's a little sad, too. The stream never gets to meet the ocean."

"Sure it does. It just takes a little longer." Zack pointed up to the grey clouds gathering further out to sea.

"Kind of like us."

Zack laughed and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess so. I hadn't really thought of that."

She looked up at him. "I don't know why you left such a wonderful place, but I'm glad you did." She hugged him and buried her face in his shoulder. Thank goodness he had left his armor behind this once. "Maybe it's selfish of me. I'm just so glad I met you."

"Hey, you make it sound like I'm going somewhere."

"You did once. I know it wasn't your fault, but sometimes I get scared."

"Aerith..." Zack pulled away, holding her steady by her shoulders. "To me, you are the most wonderful, beautiful girl in the world. And I've met a lot of girls. Wait, that came out wrong."

Aerith laughed through the tears building in her eyes. "I think I know what you meant."

"Uh, right, so... huh." Zack looked around, then at his feet, then at Aerith. "I really should do this when your mom and my folks can be here to witness it, but until I can make it official... Aerith, I want to marry you."

He expected her to be happy, excited, something. Instead he was faced with nothing. Was she in shock? But he'd already almost proposed once.

Finally, she smiled. Weak and maybe a little forced. "You're sure?"

Zack's jaw nearly dropped to the ground. "Am I...? Aerith, I've already almost proposed to you once, I spent almost a year running around the planet to get to you, of course I'm sure!" When he saw her look away his voice dropped. "But, if you're not..."

"That's not it. I did try to move on, but I couldn't. And when you came back I was so happy. I'm still happy. But there are things I'm not sure about. Things about who I am and what that might mean for the future."

"Then talk to me." Zack held her shoulders as he looked down into her face. "Please. I don't care that you're an Ancient. To tell you the truth, I've know about that for years. One of the Turks let it slip once. But knowing that doesn't matter. I. Love. You. So, please, trust me."

Aerith finally met his gaze. "I do."

*7*7*

Zack and Aerith were off somewhere, Nanaki was keeping an eye on Yuffie, Barret and Cid were having a friendly (for them) argument, Cait seemed to be trying to get Vincent to say more than two words in a row, Tifa was cleaning up the last of the lunch stuff, and Kunsel was reading. Maybe now would be a good time to slip away.

"Cloud?"

He stopped but didn't immediately acknowledge Tifa's presence. It was probably childish, and he hated himself for it, but this sudden inability to find even a few moments by himself frustrated him.

Tifa stood a few paces behind Cloud, shifting from one foot to the other. "I was thinking I should have given you something for the Solstice, too, but I couldn't think of anything."

"That's fine."

"No it's not! You gave me such a lovely gift and I haven't given you anything!"

Cloud couldn't face Tifa now. Even the way they stood, she could probably see pink along his hairline.

Words. He had to come up with something to say that would put her mind at ease. But nothing came. There probably weren't any words that would work. Not when he was planning to leave as soon as possible.

Tifa spoke again. "Well, since we might be here a while, I thought... maybe... I could teach you a little more martial arts."

Cloud nodded. He didn't trust his voice.

They started out with a review of the stances. Again, Tifa was somewhere between impressed and shocked at how well Cloud caught on. As they moved on to punches, she noticed that the few times she had to correct him was because he was trying to mimic her movements exactly. Something that was, at best, awkward because of the difference in height and sex.

The power behind his strikes scared her a little, too. She knew she couldn't risk sparing with him.

That thought reminded her of the first lesson she gave him. Red rose in her cheeks at the memory of his face hovering over hers, his eyes wide and lips slightly parted.

Cloud noticed. "Tifa? Are you okay?"

"Hmm? Oh, I..."

Kunsel chose that moment to save Tifa from Cloud's question. "Can I have a minute?"

"Yes. Of course. It's about time we took a break, anyway."

Cloud glanced at Tifa as if to say that he wasn't buying it, but nodded, anyway.

"Right. So, I was going through these logs when I ran into a list of names. There's one here that I was wondering if you'd recognize."

Cloud looked down at the line Kunsel pointed to. "Aske Strife." Bits of memory came to him. A sad voice, his mother crying, an old shoe-shine kit with the initials A.S. scratched into the bottom. "That's... Why? Why is that name there?"

"It's a list of rector personnel who submitted to medical examination. Apparently it was part of some preliminary studies for the Jenova project."

"But, that doesn't make sense." Tifa frowned. "None of the people at the reactor were from Nibelheim."

Kunsel turned to her, eyes wide with curiosity. "Really? Why's that?"

Cloud's voice, barely audible as it was, surprised them. "It's dangerous. They say the dead pass through the mountain on the way to the underworld."

"Huh. I guess that's not too far off considering all the mako in... Hey! Where are you going?"

Cloud ignored him, hoping that if he said nothing then maybe his companions would let him go. A foolish thought, but he suddenly felt desperate.

A hand, small, calloused, and so beautiful, wrapped around his wrist. "Cloud?"

He shook his head and kept walking. That is, until he bumped into a solid object wearing a maroon sweater.

"Can you at least tell us where you're going?" Kunsel said.

Nothing.

Kunsel took a deep breath and tried again. "Look, I'm sorry if I brought up something I shouldn't've. I'm just trying to figure out what's going on."

Still nothing. Cloud didn't even twitch.

"Cloud? You still in there?" Kunsel tilted his head slightly, trying to get a better look at Cloud's face.

At that moment, Cloud jumped back. His hand was halfway to the hilt of his sword before he seemed to remember where he was and sort of relaxed. Before even Kunsel could react, Cloud turned and ran for the treeline.

Tifa and Kunsel started after him but were stopped by the appearance of a red cape in their path.

"Leave him be."

"Leave him?" Tifa gaped at Vincent. "Why? He needs help!"

The whole event drew the attention of the rest of the team. Cid knocked some ash off his cigarette before speaking. "Ya can only help someone if they want it, and that kid doesn't seem ta want anybody's help."

Kunsel frowned. "He's not a kid, you know."

"A kid's a kid no matter what age." Cid shrugged. "And that one's almost more of a kid than the princess."

Tifa looked ready to protest until Kunsel set a hand in front of her face.

"He's right. In case you haven't noticed, he doesn't really act twenty-one."

Barret snorted. "When I was that age, I was workin' the coal mines an' courtin' Myrna. I git ta Midgar an' there's kids that age hangin' round doin' nothin'. Age got nothin' ta do wit' it."

"Got to do with what?" Zack would pick that moment to come back. He looked around before turning serious. "Where's Cloud?"

* * *

_Yes, yes, I stole the chapter title from LotR. It's one of my favorite stories of all time. One of the first I was introduced to, even. And it seemed to fit. I had thought that Cloud would stay with the party until after the return to the Gold Saucer, but it doesn't seem to be working out that way. So what now? Some very bad stuff. Hope you like it!_


	54. Choose a Path

**Chapter Fifty-Three - Choose a Path**

Cloud ran for a long time. He couldn't hear anyone following. Somehow, that made him feel worse. Like they didn't care if he left.

If he had stopped to think, he would have realized that he was running too fast for anyone other than Zack and maybe Kunsel to follow.

Eventually, he stopped and looked down at his shirt. The black SOLDIER First one. The one Zack had found for him to replace his mako-soaked infantry uniform. The one Tifa had mended for him.

It didn't make sense. He wanted to leave. He'd been trying to leave for days. It was for their own good. So why, after finally managing to leave, did he feel so lonely?

He slumped down under the nearest tree with a sigh. It wasn't enough. Just leaving wasn't enough. He had to find what was threatening his friends and stop it.

He had to find Sephiroth.

*7*7*

Zack parked the buggy and looked around the rest of the team. "Cloud hasn't come back yet?"

As if the answer wasn't already obvious, most of the group shook their heads. Both Tifa and Aerith looked worried. Kunsel seemed unusually subdued. Cait's ears drooped. Barret glowered at nothing in particular, which for him was a sign of great worry. Yuffie shifted from one foot to another while Cid watched her like a hawk. No one could read Vincent's expression.

Yuffie suddenly jumped up. "What are we waiting for? Let's go find him!"

"I doubt he wants to be found."

All eyes went to Vincent. The only acknowledgement he gave was dipping his head further into the collar of his cape. "He has been uneasy since the visit to Leviathan's Temple. I believe the priestess said something to him that lead to this."

"You KNEW?" Yuffie all but leapt at Vincent. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Tifa shrank in on herself as this was going on. She could still hear Yuffie's protests and everyone else trying to peel her off of Vincent, but only vaguely. Every interaction with Cloud over the last few days ran through her mind. She should have seen something. Caught on, somehow, that he was trying to leave. Tried to stop him, or at least talk to him.

"Why?" Tifa's voice was barely above a whisper, but it still drew attention away from Yuffie's dramatics. "Why couldn't I see it?"

Cid blew out a long stream of smoke. "Probably 'cause he didn't want ya to see it. Kid's like a one-legged duck. Seems fine and dandy on the surface but paddlin' like hell underneath."

"Aw, hell, Tifa." Barret shook his head. "We all knew Cloud's got problems. I don't think even the spook was expectin' him to up an' run away."

Aerith shifted to stand next to Zack. "But we should still look for him, right?"

"That depends..." Kunsel trailed off and gave Zack a pointed look.

The way Zack sighed did not bode well. "The junk collector had something called a 'keystone' that's supposed to grant access to the Temple of the Ancients. Emphasis on 'had.' Seems Dio came a couple days ago and gave him an offer he couldn't refuse."

A collective groan rose from those members who had to endure the first visit to the Gold Saucer.

Cid stomped out the butt of his cigarette and swore. "What's the big deal? We go in there and make sure that keystone don't fall inta ShinRa's hands."

"And hope we don't get accused of murder again," Kunsel muttered.

"Long story." Aerith stepped in before the conversation could get any more sidetracked. "We don't all have to go, right? Some of us can stay here and look for Cloud."

Two predictable voices answered almost in unison. "I'll go."

Kunsel shook his head at Zack and Tifa. "One big problem with that. If Vincent is right, and I suspect he is, Cloud doesn't want to be found. He's probably been running full speed ever since he hit the treeline and that was a couple hours ago. I don't know about Cloud, but I can keep a fairly steady 20 miles an hour for that time."

"Well, #$^%#. What're ya doin' takin' up space in the buggy for?" Cid responded after nearly inhaling his cigarette. "You and the hedgehog here can walk, leave a little leg room for the rest of us."

"That's not the point!" Kunsel took a deep breath, centered himself, and tried again. "I'd like a minute to talk to Zack in private, the rest of you can argue over who sits where."

Cid and Barret weren't the only ones grumbling over being treated like kids, but Aerith made a good peacemaker while Kunsel pulled Zack aside.

"Okay, I'm assuming I don't have to remind you about the time sensitive mission or the fate of the world stuff."

Zack nodded.

"Good, so I'll skip right to the part about how I'd love to run after Cloud myself. It was my call to let him go. I thought he just needed to be alone and collect his thoughts. The thing is, we'd need some way of finding him and right now, I think our best bet for finding him is finding Sephiroth."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Where's Sephiroth now?"

Zack lifted a hand as if to point but stopped before picking a direction. "Whoa. What just happened?"

"It's called Reunion Theory." Kunsel pulled a small, battered notebook out of his pants' pocket. "Fascinating stuff, really. Creepy, but fascinating. Basically, whatever Jenova is, you cut it into pieces and the pieces try to find each other. Same goes for anything, or anyone, the pieces are put into. Don't know why I'm not reacting, but I'd guess it has to do with quantity."

"Man, I am so glad you didn't go into science."

Kunsel laughed. "What? And miss out on all the fun of tracking down stray monsters in the Wasteland? In the rain? With all that sand turning into man-eating mud?"

"Great times, huh?" Zack grinned for a moment before remembering what they had been talking about. "So, you're saying Cloud can find Sephiroth. And when that happens...?"

"No idea. Details on the theory are pretty incomplete. Hojo seemed to think that the pieces would merge back together, but I really don't see how that's possible wi... Zack?"

Halfway through, Zack had turned and started back toward the buggy. "The minute we have that keystone we're going after Sephiroth. I'll see if I can get this Jenova radar thing to work on the way."

Which assumed they ever managed to leave. The rest of the merry band was in the middle of an argument when Zack and Kunsel returned.

"Of course we can find him!" Yuffie grabbed Nanaki's snout. "Look at the size of this nose! With this and my awesome ninja tracking skills, we'll have Cloud back in no time."

Nanaki growled. "I am not a 'this.'"

"I don't care! I'm not lettin' you make off with our stuff again!"

"I can go with them." Tifa looked ready to leave that very second.

Barret raised his gunarm over his head. "I'll go! Some'ne's gotta beat some sense inta that guy."

"No one's beating sense into anyone!" Aerith started to plead her case but was drowned out by the continuing argument.

"QUIET!"

Kunsel rubbed the ear closest to Zack. "Warn a guy next time, will ya?"

"Sorry," Zack murmured low enough so only Kunsel would hear. Then he addressed the now silent 'team.' "Look, it's great that you're all concerned about Cloud, uh, more or less, but Kunsel's right. We need to get the keystone before ShinRa or Sephiroth. Cloud can take care of himself for a couple days."

"But we don't all have to go get the keystone, right?" Yuffie tried to put on a puppy-dog face.

Kunsel frowned. "You just don't want to ride in the buggy anymore."

Yuffie's eyes went even wider in apparent horror. "How could you suggest such a thing? I'm worried about Cloud! Sure, getting out of the torture chamber is a bonus, but I really want to find him! He's like... a cool big brother or something. Kinda dorky, but cool."

Zack looked like he was about to cave for a moment during Yuffie's speech, but then he shook his head. "We should stick together for now. Come on. The sooner we get the keystone, the sooner we can find Cloud."

*7*7*

"Hey, Tseng, we're back."

Tseng barely twitched as Reno threw himself into one of the upholstered chairs in the office. "So I noticed. Did you have contact with the targets?"

"Yeah, one of them. Didn't catch them, obviously, but I passed on your message."

Tseng nodded and let the silence settle back into place.

As into place as it could get with Reno around. "Hey, you sure this is okay? Us letting them run around like this? I mean, I'm all for following orders and all, but if we keep bowing outta fights it's gonna make us look bad."

"It's important that they believe we intend to capture them."

"Yeah, yeah. It's just frustrating, ya know? Though I don't know which is worse, losing or listening to Elena complain."

"She'll have to be kept in the dark a while longer. Anything else to report?" A split second later he amended, "Anything relevant to report?"

"Nope. Unless you count overhearing the boss chew out Heidegger again. I think we're gettin' close to having a new department head."

"I doubt the President has time to seek a suitable replacement at this time."

Reno snorted a laugh. "Aw, come on, Tseng. A lava lamp would do a better job than Heidegger."

"The infantry fears him. The President respects that. It would take too long to find someone else who could produce the same effect."

"Still voting for the lava lamp." Reno sat up. More or less. At least he wasn't draped over the arms of the chair. "Hey, any word from our plant?"

"They have discovered the location of the keystone. However, they still do not know where the temple is."

Reno grinned. "So we're gonna get to the keystone before them, right?"

"No. The plant will be doing that for us. Unless you want to negotiate with Dio."

"That nut? I've gotta deal with enough crazies as it is."

Tseng nodded, just barely. "Speaking of which, the President wants you and Rude to escort Heidegger to Costa Del Sol."

Reno groaned. "Is that offer to talk to Dio still open?"

*7*7*

"This Dio guy thinks way too highly of himself." Yuffie poked at one of the trophies. "What are these supposed to be, anyway?"

"Treasures collected during Dio's adventures, or so he claims. We're only interested in this one, though." Kunsel stood in front of a pedestal in the center of the room. There, on a silk pillow, sat a round stone.

Zack stood to Kunsel's left. "Gotta say, I was expecting the Keystone to be a bit more... well..."

"Interesting? Jeez. Let's just grab it and get outta here."

"And get arrested again?" Kunsel glared at Yuffie. "No way."

Cid leaned against the doorway leading into the monument to self-absorption and shook his head. "Y'all are gonna have to tell me about that one o' these days."

The rest of the team waited outside, so they were the first to notice the newcomer, but not quite soon enough to warn everyone else.

So the first warning they had was Cid yelling "What the hell?" followed quickly by a booming laugh.

"Long time no see, my boy. Hmm? You like that, huh?"

Kunsel resisted the urge to lift his eyes to the ceiling and pray for a hole to open up under him. Yuffie stared at Dio.

"No way! He's still wearing that?"

Zack smiled. "Hi! We were wondering if we could borrow this."

Dio laughed again. "Sorry, but it's not for rent. Hmm. Since you've been good to me in the past, I _can_ let you have it on one condition."

"What condition?"

"Entertain me!"

It took a moment for Kunsel to realize who Dio was pointing at. "Wait, me? You're kidding, right? What sort of 'entertainment' are you talking about?"

Dio guffawed. "It's not something that's really difficult. This is the Battle Arena. Show me your fighting skills. Just you, my boy, I'm expecting a good fight!"

"I'm pretty sure Zack would be a better choice for this."

Zack chuckled and slapped Kunsel on the shoulder. "You'll do fine! It can't be that hard if normal people fight here."

"They aren't here for Dio's amusement," Kunsel muttered low enough so Dio couldn't hear. "Yeah, okay. Just give me a minute to get ready."

"Of course!" Dio laughed loud enough that those outside the room covered their ears. "I can give you more than that. The match starts in five minutes."

* * *

_In case anyone is interested, there's a hint as to what Kunsel was doing the day Zack didn't die._

_We're back at the Gold Saucer. Most of you know what that means! Hoo-boy. Getting into another section that's hard to write. This part of the game is just so hard. Not gameplay wise, so much, but just knowing what's going to happen._


	55. Count Down Start

_Just to note before the chapter starts, Battle Arena is a no smoking zone because of an incident several years ago involving hot ash and a monster's poison spray that turned out to also be flammable. Never did find enough of the combatant to bury..._

**Chapter Fifty-Four - Count Down Start**

"You're sure you don't want any more materia?"

Kunsel rolled his eyes at Yuffie. "I can't bring in what I can't equip."

"But you picked all boring ones! Come on, at least pick a summon. I've only seen one so far!"

"Summoning takes too long, and... hey! Hands off!"

"You need an expert materia hunter to help you. What's all this stuff in your pockets?"

"Items that cast spells." Kunsel shoved Yuffie away after making sure she hadn't taken anything. "A lot of the penalties in the arena involve losing access to materia, so it's best not to depend on it."

"That stinks! And how do you know that?"

Kunsel pointed to the sign-in desk. "I read the rules. You should try it sometime."

Yuffie stuck her tongue out at him as he ran up the steps to the arena.

Just before Kunsel reached the door, Zack ran up to him. "We got seats, so we'll be cheering you on."

"No. No way. If I'm going to humiliate myself, I'd rather do it in front of strangers than friends."

Zack just laughed. "You aren't going to humiliate yourself. Come on, you're SOLDIER, how ha-"

"Don't. Don't say it."

"Okay, okay." Zack brought his hands up in defense. "Good luck!"

*7*7*

"Sir. E-excuse me, sir."

Tseng turned his head only just enough to see the trooper out the corner of his eye. One of the troopers assigned to make sure Hojo stayed in his quarters. Not a good sign.

"What are you doing away from your post?"

"I-I'm off duty, sir, but I was told to find you and say that Professor Hojo has been demanding to see you for the last two days." The poor trooper looked like he was about to make like a rabbit. Not that anyone (okay, maybe a few) could blame him, being essentially stuck between a mad man and a Turk.

Tseng's frown didn't help matters any. "I'm busy, and he has no authority to demand anything."

"B-but he... I... Y-yes, sir. Sorry for bothering you, sir."

Despite his response, Tseng was tempted to visit Hojo. What reason would Hojo have to demand his presence? There wasn't anything to gloat over, as far as he knew. Perhaps he wanted an update on his 'escaped samples.' Or demand that he be given 'proper' accommodations again. Whatever the reason, it would be an opportunity to get more information from Hojo. Not that the former executive was likely to cooperate, but Tseng did have experience with interrogation.

Hojo certainly looked like he would be uncooperative when Tseng stepped into the room. He glared at the Turk over his glasses. "So you finally showed yourself. You better have good news to justify keeping me waiting."

"I might."

"You might?" Hojo's eyes narrowed ever further. "So you have news but you don't know if I'd consider it good. Or is this one of your clumsy attempts to gain information from me?"

"Neither. Whatever news I have is for you to make of what you will. Otherwise, I am simply here to ensure ShinRa's interests."

"Is that so? If that is your purpose, then you should assign me some better facilities. I cannot conduct my experiments in these surroundings."

"Perhaps at a later date. Right now, I would think you'd be more interested in the behavior of your specimens."

This piqued Hojo's interest. "Oh? You've found them, then?"

"There have been encounters." Tseng motioned to a small table with a couple of chairs. "I admit to some curiosity as to what exactly you did with them."

"I doubt you'd understand the..."

"Try me." Tseng allowed an eyebrow to raise slightly. "Part of my duty as a Turk is gathering and interpreting information. Think of it as a test of my abilities."

Hojo chuckled, a toned down version of his customary cackle. "You think I'd consider you as a specimen? Don't flatter yourself. Still, perhaps it will serve as an interesting diversion. First, I want to hear what you've observed of my specimens."

*7*7*

"Kunsel isn't going to be happy that we're here." Aerith's repeated reminder did nothing to stir Zack, or anyone else, from their seats.

Cid chomped on an unlit cigarette in defiance of the 'no smoking' rule of the arena. "Kid needs to lighten up. He's doin' fine."

"But didn't they poison him at the start of this round?" Tifa craned her neck, trying to see around a particularly tall spectator.

"He doesn't seem to be poisoned." Zack leaned forward. "He's probably wearing a star pendant or something."

"This is boring! He's just running around poking at that whateveritis."

"Dual horn," several voices informed her.

_"Round two victory to guest fighter. Round three starting with confiscation of any and all summon materia."_

Zack's elbow met Yuffie's tiny ribs. "Good thing Kunsel didn't take your advise, huh?"

Yuffie stuck her tongue out at him before turning back to the fight.

Or what was supposed to be a fight. Between shouts of "What's he doing?" various expletives, and roaring laughter, Aerith again suggested that Kunsel wouldn't like them being there.

*7*7*

The penalties hadn't been too bad at that point. Kunsel figured he could easily last another round or two.

Until he caught sight of his next opponents.

_Pleasedon'ttouchmepleasedon'ttouchmepleasedon'ttouchme..._

He was starting to wish he had picked a couple offensive materia. Those frogs where hard to hit. Hard to evade, too, in such a confined space. He could have jumped up and grabbed the chain fence between the arena and the spectators, but then he'd forfeit. Somehow, he didn't think Dio would be entertained by that.

Not that he liked the show he was putting on by running away from a pair of frogs. The crowd liked it, but that wasn't the point. He was SOLDIER.

One frog hopped dangerously close to Kunsel's boot as he dug around in his pockets. He should have reorganized after Yuffie pawed through them. Skipping backwards away from his amphibian opponents, he finally pulled out a small cylinder with the Wutanese characters for 'lightning' emblazoned along its length.

Kunsel threw the cylinder into the center of the arena. It broke open, releasing shards of electricity that arched through the air and flash cooked the frogs.

A small screen flashed the words "Do you wish to continue?"

"Yeah, sure."

_"Round three victory to guest fighter. Round four starting with limit placed on magic casting."_

*7*7*

Tseng quickly came to the conclusion that he should have had Hojo talk first, then update him on the 'specimens.' The cackling was bad enough without having to interpret the rambling fragments of thought that came out in between. All he could do was listen and try to grab hold of something (anything) to regain control.

"Fascinating. Truly fascinating. Of course, I had Specimen Z pegged as a failure from the start. Though I thought the same of Specimen C, didn't I? Yes. Yes. There was no use for a specimen that couldn't move on its own. Though both retaining a human form is remarkable."

That was it. "Wait a moment. You were not expecting them to remain human?"

Hojo's cackle came to an abrupt end as he regarded Tseng through his glasses. "You should listen more carefully. I said they retained human forms. I never said anything about them being human."

"My apologies." Tseng bowed his head, effectively hiding any trace of emotion that might have crept into his features. "Is it safe to assume that they are not human?"

Hojo waved him off. "Obviously. Even an imbecile could deduce that much."

For a moment, Tseng considered flattery, but only for a moment. Hojo was paranoid enough without trying something that obvious. "Just making sure. After all, if they are not human, then what are they?"

That started Hojo cackling again. "Fragments of Calamity. A stray bit of research." The cackling exploded. "Better to ask what they were before! How did they survive! Years wasted! Find them! Bring them to me! I must know! I _will _know!"

*7*7*

Zack's grin was way too wide when the group reunited outside of Battle Square. Kunsel put the keystone in his pocket so he could properly cross his arms.

"You watched."

"Sorry." Zack looked anything but apologetic. "But it was a great show! Man, watching you running around trying to dodge those frogs. And then at the end, when the tonberry appeared... you should've seen the look on your face!"

Well, at least most of the group looked sorry. And, honestly, who could stay mad at Zack? The fight with the touch mes had been the worst (for his pride), anyway. "Fine. We have the keystone, so we should get going."

"Yeah, 'bout that." Cid strode up the steps from the station. "Just been there. The tram's out."

Barret frowned. "So we jes wait 'til it comes back. What's the problem?"

"Not that kinda 'out,' ya idjit! I mean it's broke! We're gonna haveta spend the night."

Aerith intervened before Barret could throttle Cid, or Zack and Tifa could insist that they find some way of leaving. "That doesn't sound too bad. We all need a good night's sleep if we're going to look for Cloud."

"I doubt we'll get that here," Tifa murmured.

"Oh, it'll be fine. These things happen." Cait popped up from seemingly nowhere and Kunsel made a mental note to ask Zack if Cait had been with them the whole time. "The people here know me, so ye won't have to pay, either. Follow me!"

*7*7*

"I'm so sorry about this." The guy in the corpse suit Tifa had seen at the reception desk before was replaced by a young woman who seemed to find it necessary to apologize to everyone she gave a room key to. "The tram should be up and running in the morning."

Somehow, the poor replacement receptionist became even more apologetic as Zack and Aerith approached the desk.

"I'm so sorry! I can offer you the honeymoon suite if you like."

Zack's smile stayed even as his eyes widened. "Yeah. I mean, no, well, yeah, I'd like that, I... uh..."

"Zack." Kunsel frowned and a look Aerith couldn't identify passed between the two SOLDIERs.

"Right. Sorry. Just three normal rooms is fine."

And Aerith couldn't help but wonder what that was all about.

*7*7*

Cait snuggled into one of the plush cushions in the Haunted Inn's lounge. The team had taken it over since none of their rooms were large enough to fit everyone without a fight breaking out. "Ah, this is nice. We haven't been all together and inside for a while, huh? I'm rather curious as to what all this is about. Seeing as I'm fairly new, I don't know all the details."

"Yeah. What the hell is all this?" Cid dropped into one of the chairs.

Zack pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm not going to have to tell the whole story again, am I?"

Kunsel smiled. "I'll do it. Okay, in brief, Sephiroth went nuts about five years ago. We thought he was dead, but it seems he managed to survive falling into a reactor core. Don't ask how. He killed President Shinra-"

"Hey! Hold on, the news said it was AVALANCHE."

Barret glared at Cid. "They're lyin'! Not that I wouldn't've minded a chance ta do it m'self!"

Cid jumped out of his chair. "_You're_ AVALANCHE? Why ya li'l..."

"Different group!" Kunsel pushed the two near-combatants apart. "Seriously, we need a new name." He waited until Barret and Cid returned to their seats before continuing. "Anyway, we've been following what little leads we have trying to find Sephiroth and stop him from doing whatever it is he's trying to do."

"Why'd ya wanna do that? Seems to me ya both gotta beef against ShinRa."

Kunsel raised a finger. "One, because his particular brand of crazy seems to involve torching small towns. And two," Kunsel raise a second finger, "what little he's said to us seems to indicate that he has a grudge against humanity in general, not just ShinRa."

Cid muttered something and leaned back in his chair.

"ShinRa seems to think Sephiroth is trying to get into the Temple of the Ancients." Kunsel shrugged. "Why, I have no idea."

"Perhaps because of the Promised Land?" Aerith looked around the room then down at her hands.  
"ShinRa thinks it's a land rich in mako, but I'm not sure that's true."

Cid took a long drag on his cigarette. "So ShinRa's chasin' after some legend and they think Sephiroth's tryin' to get it too?"

Aerith nodded. "Something like that. The Promised Land... It's hard to explain. It's something you search for until you feel it. Like you just know, this is the Promised Land."

"Can you feel it?" Zack leaned toward her so he could take her hand.

She smiled at him. "Yes. I think so."

Kunsel cleared his throat. "One other thing. Dio told me that a guy in a black cloak was asking about black materia. I took a mythology class once and remember that being mentioned. Something about 'ultimate destructive magic.'"

"One of those creepy zombie guys was here?" Yuffie curled up her legs as if afraid one would jump out from under her chair. "Just how many of them are there?"

"Dunno. I did notice a number tattoo on one of them, though."

Zack sat up. "What number?"

"Two, I think. Why?"

Zack and Aerith looked at each other. "Could be the guy with mako poisoning from the market."

"Yes." Aerith turned her hand so she could hold his. "I'm not sure what number he had, though."

Nanaki's ears drooped. "...you know, of course... My tattoo is number 13."

"Yeah." Kunsel drew his eyebrows together. "How did you get it?"

"...Hojo put it on me." Nanaki looked away. "Everything else is just war scars, but the number was done by Hojo."

"Then there are at least twelve more?" Tifa looked like she was ready to follow Yuffie's lead.

"Possibly." Kunsel rubbed his forehead. "How long were you held captive, Nanaki?"

"About a year, I think. Why?"

"Because I don't know how you'd connect with the black cloaked guys. That set of experiments happened five years ago."

Tifa flinched. "Five years? Those men, who are they?"

"I haven't found any names yet."

For just a moment, Tifa seemed to curl in on herself. Then she was back to a semblance of normal.

Barret threw his arms in the air. "This's way too confusin' for me! I'm goin' to bed. Hopefully, tomorrow we can actu'lly _do _somethin'."

Kunsel waited until Barret stomped off before speaking. "It feels weird to say it, but I agree. We're all going to need our rest and there isn't much more we can do until tomorrow, anyway."

"Right!" Zack jumped up and bowed to Aerith. "May I have the pleasure of escorting you to your room?"

"Of course." Aerith looped her arm around Zack's. Together, they lead the way upstairs.

* * *

_Yes, I'm missing the bit of dialog between Nanaki and Tifa where Nanaki worries that he might go nuts like those black cloak guys. It didn't seem necessary since Kunsel pointed out that Nanaki probably isn't connected to them. Anyway! The plot progresses! Slowly, but it progresses._


	56. Date Night

**Chapter Fifty-Five - Date Night**

Yuffie collapsed onto her bed almost as soon as she entered the room. "I love you, bed."

"It seems at least one of us is going to sleep well tonight." Aerith looked over at Tifa, her smile fading.

Tifa pulled off her boots and gloves as if in a daze. She'd been like that on and off all day.

"We'll find him, you know. This is Cloud, I'm sure he can take care of himself until then."

"I'm not worried." Tifa forced a smile onto her face. "Just a little tired. Though it would be nice to take a shower first."

"You can go first." Aerith started to turn toward the door, but ended up shifting her weight from one foot to the other instead. "It's all right to be worried, you know. I think we all are."

Tifa made a noncommittal noise in her throat. She seemed to be picking up some of Cloud's bad habits. "If you want to go out, you can."

Aerith could've kicked herself for being so obvious. "Well, there is something I want to talk to Zack about, but if you need someone to talk to..."

"I'll be fine." Tifa smiled a little easier, but it still rang false. "I just need a shower and some sleep. That's all."

*7*7*

"And if you don't like the arrangement, tough." Zack finished passing out the room keys before stretching his arms over his head. "I'm going to sleep, so try not to kill each other."

Oddly enough, at least from Zack's point of view, Cid followed him instead of heading to his own room.

"Uh, Cid? Your room's at the other end of the hall."

"Yeah, I know." Cid took out his cigarette to yawn. "Look. You're the leader, right? Well, ya ain't gonna do much leadin' if you're stressin' out all the time. Worry ain't gonna do anyone a lick of good. It's hard, sure, 'specially with family."

"Whoa. Stop right there. 'Family'?"

Cid frowned. "Yeah. What? You sayin' you and the kid aren't related?"

"As far as I know. Why would you think we are?"

"Have ya looked in a mirror lately? I've seen full blood brothers who looked less alike than you two."

Zack scratched the back of his neck. "Huh. I, uh, never thought of that." And considering what they'd both been through, it was slightly disturbing.

Cid shook his head. "Kids. Anyway, just wanted ta make sure ya actually slept tonight."

The human smokestack had barely disappeared into the room he had to share with Barret and Vincent when Aerith appeared in the doorway next to Zack.

Zack smiled. "You going to reassure me, too?"

"Do you need reassuring?"

Something in Aerith's tone made him think she was the one in need of reassurance, but he didn't say so. Instead, he smiled. "Depends on how you plan on reassuring me."

Aerith gave him a coy smile. "I guess you'll have to find out."

*7*7*

Tseng knocked on the door to Rufus's office before stepping in. He stood at attention until Rufus motioned for him to begin.

"They have the keystone."

"I see. Then we'll have to find some way of getting it from them."

"Already taken care of. They're stranded at the Gold Saucer. With your permission, I can be in the air within the hour."

"Good." Rufus game Tseng a sly smile. "I'm sure you'd rather be doing that than chatting with the good professor."

Tseng only responded with a short nod.

*7*7*

He was in a forest. Again. Still? He couldn't be sure. At least he got away from those bugs.

So tired. Maybe if he slept. No. Couldn't sleep. Not now. No one to keep watch.

He was alone? Right. It was dangerous for anyone to be near him.

Why? Because... he'd hurt them? Or was someone else going to hurt them?

_Sephiroth._ Yeah. It was because of Sephiroth. He had to find Sephiroth and then...

What? Fight him? Help him? No. He didn't want to help Sephiroth. So he was going to fight? Alone?

He didn't have a chance at beating Sephiroth. So what was he going to do?

His head hurt. Something buzzed around his head. More of those over-sized hornets? No. The buzzing was inside his head.

_What am I doing?_ He was going somewhere. To fight? Help? Who?

_My name..._ If he could remember his name, he'd be okay.

*7*7*

They both needed the distraction, and the chance to be silly. Zack grinned at how Aerith shoved him after he kissed the dragon instead of her.

"You're horrible! What sort of knight kisses the dragon instead of the princess?"

"Hey, it worked, right?" He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I'll make it up to you. How does a gondola ride sound?"

"Sounds nice, except aren't I the one paying?"

"Not tonight, remember? Everything's free." Zack held up his free hand and crossed his fingers. "Here's hoping that includes the gondola."

Aerith hummed and her eyes went distant as they approached the air chute. If there was one good thing about those, it was how it gave Zack an excuse to hold Aerith as close as possible during the trip. Not that he needed an excuse, but it was nice all the same.

"What, no joke about how I can only treat you to stuff that's free?"

Her focus snapped back to the present as she looked up at him. "Too easy. Come on! Let's go!"

That didn't fool Zack in the least. If anything, it confirmed that something was bothering her. But he was willing to wait until she was ready to talk about it.

The gondola started with a jerk before lifting them high in the air. Aerith started to lean against Zack before straightening up as if she remembered something.

"Zack, you were serious about wanting to marry me, right?"

He cocked his head. "Of course. I still am. I thought we already covered this."

"Yes, but... earlier..." She shook her head. "It's nothing."

Zack slumped forward, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm starting to think Cloud's contagious. Aerith, please, if something's bothering you, tell me!"

Aerith laughed weakly even as she rested her head against Zack's shoulder. "There's more to Cloud than acting like he has to carry everything by himself."

"I know. And you're changing the subject."

"Yes, well, it's a little awkward, but... there was something Kunsel didn't say back at the reception desk that made you decide not to take the honeymoon suite. It's... well... I was wondering..."

Zack wrapped an arm around Aerith's shoulders. "You're worried I'd rather spend time with the guys than alone with a beautiful girl? Like we are now?"

"No! That's not..." Aerith turned bright red. "I was wondering if there was something about me that would... you know... make things difficult... sleeping... in the same room..."

"Oh, uh, right." Zack scratched the back of his head with his free hand. "It actually doesn't have anything to do with you. Well, no, it does, sort of, but not the way you're probably thinking. Oh man." He released his hold on Aerith so he could bury his face in his hands. "You know, it's been almost ten years since I took that class, I've probably forgotten most of it."

"Class?"

"Yeah, kind of, um, sex ed for SOLDIERs. It mostly boiled down to 'don't do it. Ever.'"

Aerith's eyes widened until they looked ready to pop out of her head. "Was this before or after you joined?"

"Right after I passed the test, but before the treatment."

"And you still went through with it?"

That got Zack to sit up straight. "Hey, I was thirteen! I hadn't thought past kissing girls yet! Okay. Maybe a little past, but..." Zack let his head fall back against the wall of the gondola. "I wasn't really paying attention. Sorry. I should've told you sooner but I just didn't think about it until an hour ago."

"Maybe. But why would they have a rule like that? It doesn't seem like ShinRa to be prudish."

Zack scooted a little closer to Aerith. "I can split boulders with my fists, think a... You've never seen goats mate, have you."

And Aerith had just started to return to a normal color. "Of course not! What does that have to do with this?"

He leaned away and scratched the back of his head. "Uh, well, it gets kinda rough, you know? And, um... you could get hurt."

Aerith ducked her head, feeling like her hair was about to burst into flames.

"Sorry. Guess this isn't exactly what you had in mind."

"For the date?"

"Something like that." Zack leaned down trying to get a look at Aerith's face. "I love you. Really. Maybe it's unfair for me to ask you to marry me after all this, but I really want to spend the rest of my life with you."

The sound that came out of Aerith's mouth seemed to fall somewhere between laugh and hiccup. "Can you be anything but Fair?"

Snort. "Old joke. Seriously, you gonna be okay?"

"I think so." She finally looked up at him, smiling even though tears were gathering at the corners of her eyes. "After all, if you're willing to stay with me, I should be willing to stay with you."

Zack enveloped her in a hug. "You aren't getting rid of me! Hey! Check it out! Fireworks!"

"OH!" Aerith watched in awe as the sky lit up with giant, multi-colored flowers. The tiny glowing dots that made up each bloom reminded her of the pyreflies she'd sometimes see around Midgar and more recently on their travels. "So pretty."

"Yeah."

A few more moments of silence.

"So, you want to keep watching the fireworks out there, or should we make some fireworks in here?"

...

"Ow!"

*7*7*

Tifa couldn't sleep, but not for the reason she had expected.

"I'm booored!" Yuffie flopped down on Tifa's bed. "Let's do something! Maybe this place has some cool materia."

"I thought you said you were tired."

"Yeah, but that was before. Come ON!" Yuffie started bouncing. "You've been mopy ever since Cloud left. Don't you want to do something fun?"

"Right now, I want to sleep."

Yuffie pouted for a moment before sliding off the bed and rummaging around.

Suspicious, Tifa sat up. "What are you doing?"

"Digging through your stuff. Duh. Oh! Is this the gift Cloud got you? It's not as bad as I thought it'd be." Yuffie waved the clip at Tifa. "Did you know that when he heard it was New Year's he wanted to stop right away and get any old thing from a street vender? You're lucky I talked him into waiting. He's a pain in the ass. You shouldn't let him get to you."

After snatching the hair clip from Yuffie, Tifa realized that this was the little ninja's awkward way of trying to make her feel better. She smiled. "Thanks. But I still want to get some sleep so I can look for that pain in the ass tomorrow."

*7*7*

Marlene couldn't sleep from worry again. Oh, she didn't worry about her Papa, she knew Papa was safe because he was Papa. She was worried that Papa was worried about her. She knew that he worried a lot. The trip to Kalm was exciting, and then meeting Miss Tilmitt was nice, but did Papa know where she was? He hadn't called in so long. If he did call, would it come here or to Miss Elmyra's house?

She stayed in bed only because the grown-ups would send her back if she wandered around. Instead, she made a tent out of her covers and played with the little toy cat Miss Tilmitt brought with her.

A toy that suddenly started talking. "Hey, lassie, wanna talk to some important people?"

Important people? "Papa! Tifa!"

_"Hey! That's Marlene!"_

Marlene opened her mouth in a wide smile. "Hey! It's the flower lady! Flower lady..."

"Sorry, time's up!"

Her face fell. "But I didn't get to talk hardly at all! And I wanted to thank the flower lady!"

The toy didn't talk any more. Even when she shook it.

*7*7*

"I don't like using dirty tricks like this, takin' hostages and all. But this is how it is... no compromises. Can ye put me down and then go on like nothing happened?"

Zack glared at Cait. "I really would've expected better of you, Reeve."

Cait attempted a shrug. "It's Cait, at the moment. And you'd prefer Heidegger take them?"

"We don't have much of a choice, Zack. Please."

Zack dropped Cait back on his moogle and watched as the pair bounced off. "Well, we can't tell Barret about this, that's for sure."

"I wonder if Marlene is all right. I wonder what happened to Mom."

"We'll find her." Zack wrapped Aerith in a protective hug. "Both of them."

* * *

_As things drift further away from the established story, these chapters get harder to write. But for so long I've felt like the characters were dictating the story, not me. Am I losing a sense of who the characters are? Or am I just flummoxed by the need to come up with original content? Or maybe it's just coincidence and the problem lies with my allergies. Curse my perpetually stuffed sinuses!_


	57. Rock In The Stream

**Chapter Fifty-Six - Rock in the Stream**

Not everything was the same as before. Kunsel slept with Cait's megaphone under his pillow that night, for one thing. A bit of an improvement, from Cait's point of view, over the death threats that came before Zack could explain the situation.

"So you're sure he's controlled by Reeve?"

"Yeah. At least I remember seeing something an awful lot like him wandering the urban development department a couple times. I feel kinda stupid not realizing it sooner."

Kunsel shrugged. "I should've guessed, too. Reeve is known to have a knack for robotics."

*7*7*

Things got worse the next morning, when Zack had to explain that the keystone was gone without directly stating why. Zack was a terrible liar.

"You 'spect us ta believe it's jes' gone? Wha'd it do, walk out the door?"

"Uh..." Zack looked to Kunsel for support. At first, all he got was a shrug.

"Obviously, it had help. The question right now is what do we do?"

"Find the ^&*% who took the keystone and take it back!" Barret waved his gun-arm in the air, making it obvious how he planned to take the keystone back.

Tifa nearly jumped out of her chair. "What about Cloud? We have to find him!"

"Yeah! I'm sick of all this weird stuff with keystones and ShinRa!" Yuffie all but stuck her finger up Zack's nose. "You should've let me go after Cloud before!"

Zack pushed her hand away. "Okay! I messed up! I get it!"

"Ah, if I may make a suggestion?" Cait seemed to shrink a little as everyone looked at him, but he continued on. "ShinRa is going to the Temple of the Ancients. I could, ah, take you there."

Cid put out his cigarette and started another. "And how do you know where it is?"

"I can find anything, didn't ye know that?"

Yuffie sniffed. "Sure. You were a _big_ help when Cloud asked you to find Sephiroth."

"Don't trust the li'l cat, anyways." Barret glared at Zack. "Don't trust you, either. You an' that other SOLDIER had the keystone when it up an' vanished. Seems kinda fishy."

Zack looked stunned. "What? Are you serious?"

"Big guy's gotta point. Might be one thing if it went missin' from the girls' room or even ours, but who'd be crazy enough to sneak past a couple of SOLDIERs?"

Kunsel and Zack only glanced at Cait for a moment out the corners of their eyes, but it was enough.

"I knew it! Lemme at him! I'm gonna blow his brains out!"

"Whoa! No one's blowing anyone's brains out!" Zack tried to restrain Barret and keep the gun-arm aimed in a hopefully harmless direction.

"What do you plan to do with him, then?" Everyone, including Barret, stopped when Vincent spoke.

Zack looked down and to the side. "We're keeping him with us."

"You &*^% crazy?" Cid glared at Zack then Cait. "He's a ^&*% spy!"

"And we know he's a spy. We can use that to our advantage." Kunsel picked Cait up by the back of his cape. "Where's ShinRa right now?"

Cait's ears drooped. "The Turks are almost to the temple. If we leave now we might still catch them there."

Yuffie snorted. "You guys are way too trusting."

"Maybe, but we work with what we've got." Kunsel dropped Cait just in time for Cid to grab the little robot.

"My turn. So where's this temple and how the hell're we supposed to get there?"

Cait curled up in almost a fetal position. "It's on the big island west of Long Island. I figured we could take the Tiny Bronco and..."

"No way in hell are we all fittin' on it."

"Great!" Yuffie jumped up. "Because I don't want to ride on that thing again, anyway."

Zack stepped up as Cid dropped Cait. "How many can fit?"

"Six, max."

After taking a moment to do a head count, Zack nodded. "There are nine of us, so how about Yuffie, Tifa, and Nanaki see if they can pick up Cloud's trail. The rest of us will head to the Temple of the Ancients. And keep in touch. If you find anything at all, let us know."

Most of the group agreed, or seemed to, and started getting ready. Tifa just walked past Zack and glared at him. He scratched the back of his head as he tried to figure out what that was about. Having no luck with that, he turned to Aerith. She nodded. He nodded back and jogged after Tifa.

"Hey, what'd I do?"

"It's what you didn't do." She glared over her shoulder before turning away with her fists clenched at her side. "I thought you cared! I thought you were friends! You said he's like a little brother to you! But... You aren't even going to look for him!"

"And you think that means I don't care? If it was just me, I'd be out there right now looking for him! But I have to think about everyone else, too. Maybe I'm not doing the best job, maybe I made some mistakes, but I'm trying. Really."

Tifa relaxed, but just a bit. "I know. I just don't understand why you seem so reluctant to go after him."

"I wish I could explain it to you." Zack scratched the back of his head again, this time in frustration. "It's complicated, and we really don't have time right now, anyway. Can you just trust me for now, and promise to call the second you find something?"

Tifa nodded, finally looking back at him. "If Yuffie doesn't beat me to it."

*7*7*

Tifa, Yuffie, and Nanaki were dropped off near the junk collector. Even before the buggy drove away, Yuffie started running toward the forest.

"Wait! Where are you going?"

Yuffie danced backwards. "To stretch my legs! It's so cramped and stinky in there!"

"She is right." Nanaki stretched each of his legs out and arched his back until some of his joints popped. "The floor is not comfortable, even with the blankets Aerith provided."

Tifa nodded somewhat absentmindedly. "I suppose not. Do you think it's possible to pick up Cloud's trail?"

"I will do my best."

Time passed, marked by Yuffie's frequent complaints that they weren't getting anywhere.

"Are you _sure_ you have his scent?"

"Once again, yes. I'm sure."

"But we've been walking _forever!_" Yuffie waved her arms to take in the entire scene. "And there's nothing but trees!"

Tifa placed a hand on Yuffie's shoulder. "Cloud's been gone for almost a full day. He's almost certainly not in this area anymore."

"Then why are we still here? We should be moving faster!"

Nanaki lowered his ears as he glared at Yuffie. "Perhaps you would prefer to sniff out his trail." Before Yuffie could retort, he brought his nose up and inhaled. "There is something dead nearby."

"What?" Tifa was too afraid to consider the possibility of 'who.'

"Unknown. But it is large and Cloud's trail is heading in that direction."

Soon, Cloud's trail became much easier to follow. The churned dirt and snapped trees were something of a give-away. At the epicenter of the chaos lay the partially scavanged remains of an enormous bull grand horn.

"Did Cloud do this?"

"His scent covers the entire area, though the Lifestream scent is far stronger than normal." Nanaki sniffed the air again. "I suggest we leave before more scavengers arrive."

Yuffie extended an arm out. "You're the one with the nose. Where to?"

"This way."

Nanaki and Tifa walked nearly side by side, Nanaki slightly ahead. As Yuffie started to lag behind, Nanaki lifted his head.

"Tifa, there is something that concerns me."

She held in her own anxiety as she responded. "What?"

"Kunsel said that the experiments on the men in black cloaks was conducted five years ago, at the same time Cloud and Zack were experimented on."

Tifa shook her head, denying her own fears. "That doesn't mean anything. They could have been separate experiments."

"And if they aren't? What if we find Cloud and he has become like them?" Nanaki's voice turned almost pleading. "What if I begin acting like that?"

"You won't! Neither of you will!" Tifa stopped walking.

Nanaki turned to fully face her. "But what if..."

"Stop it! You have to be strong, Nanaki. Believe in yourself and Cloud."

For a moment, Nanaki seemed about to protest, but instead he nodded slowly and went back to sniffing out Cloud's trail.

*7*7*

"Are you sure-"

"YES!" Both Tifa and Nanaki turned on Yuffie.

Yuffie held up her hands in defense. "Okay, okay. It's just that we had been going west and now we're going east."

"What?" Tifa looked around. They had left the jungle almost an hour ago. Now that she looked, they were obviously heading back toward the ocean.

Nanaki nodded. "South-east, but yes. At first I thought it possible that he was trying to rejoin us, but he seems to be deliberately avoiding any road we might take."

"So where is he going?"

The motion Nanaki did with his shoulders was about as close to a shrug as he could do.

Yuffie threw herself onto the ground. "My feet hurt! Aren't we catching up at all?"

"We are still at least a day behind him. Most likely, that distance will increase."

Yuffie groaned. As much as Tifa felt like following Yuffie's example, she tried to keep her frustration hidden.

"Why do you say that?"

"Here, exposed to the wind, it is harder to find his trail. Also, he is able to move faster than us for longer periods of time."

Tifa sighed. She knew they should have gone after Cloud right away. "There isn't anything we can do about that, I suppose. Maybe we should rest and think of another plan."

*7*7*

Cid finished bolting in the last seat. "This ain't no luxury cruise, so if ya got any complaints deal with it yourself or jump off."

Zack and Aerith climbed on and sat next to each other. As he wouldn't let anyone else touch it, Cid naturally took the pilot's seat. Cait sat on Kunsel's lap in the co-pilot's seat. The mechanical moogle sat tied to a seat in the back, behind Vincent and next to Barret.

Despite Cid's grumbling, the journey started off smoothly. If not for the circumstances, it might have even been enjoyable.

Aerith stifled a yawn but couldn't keep herself from drooping a little toward Zack.

"Hey, you doing okay?"

"Hmm?" Aerith blinked. "Oh, just tired. We had a big night."

Zack wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side. "Go ahead and take a nap. This could be a long ride."

*7*7*

He was getting closer. He didn't know how he knew, he just knew. What was he getting closer to? He wasn't sure. It was important. It was somewhere he had to be.

But there was something else. Like a pressure in the back of his skull.

_Go back... can't... Fight it... Stay..._

He blinked. Had he fallen asleep? he had to stay awake. Sleep meant nightmares. He'd stay awake until he got to wherever he was going.

*7*7*

"Okay. Thanks, Zack." Tifa pocketed her phone and turned to Nanaki and Yuffie. "He said that there are some fishing villages connected by ferry to the islands. Cloud might be going there."

"It may be impossible to find his scent if that is the case."

Yuffie rolled her eyes. "Duh. That's probably the whole point. Good thing you have me around! I don't have to rely on just one sense to find someone."

Nanaki narrowed his eye at her. "Neither do I."

"Please, enough bickering! Let's go find Cloud."

Nanaki looked apologetic as he trailed after Tifa, but Yuffie just grumbled about having to get on a boat.

* * *

_Tifa and Nanaki ended up having their talk, after all. And are there too many fishing villages? Are Costa Del Sol and Junon the only major ports in the world? Kinda makes you wonder about world population and how they could have such advanced technology with so few people._


	58. Stress

**Chapter Fifty-Seven - Stress**

Yuffie slumped forward into Tifa's pack. "I dun wanna walk no more."

"You'll be able to sleep on the boat. Come on." Tifa tried to help Yuffie along, but her own feet felt like they were ready to fall off. "Let's find somewhere to sit for a minute."

"There is a small park up ahead." Nanaki pointed his nose toward a little patch of lawn with a bench. "You may lean on me until we get there."

Both girls were more than happy to take some of the weight off their feet. That wood bench felt like a plush sofa to their sore backs.

"Do we really have to move? I wanna sleep and not wake up for a week."

"We have to find Cloud." Though the thought of sleeping for a week was tempting.

Yuffie just groaned.

"You may rest as long as you like. I will see if I can pick up Cloud's scent."

Nanaki thought he found the trail several times, but always lost to the scent of fish and other humans. Even the traces of Lifestream were hard to pick up in most places. When he returned to the little park, he had mixed news.

"He was here, but not for long. I can show you were I found traces of his scent near the docks."

"AAA! More walking? I just got feeling in my feet again!" Yuffie kicked her legs out for emphasis.

Tifa stood and held out her hand for Yuffie. "Once we find out where Cloud went we can rest some more. We might even find a ship with beds."

"Like I'm going to be able to sleep on one of those things. Ugh."

*7*7*

"Yeah? That's great. Uh-huh. Say, can you call back later? Kinda busy at the moment." Zack pocketed his phone so he could focus on the dual horn in front of him. Usually, he only had to worry about solitary males. Just their luck to run into a whole herd of the things during rutting season.

One of the males charged Zack from behind. Zack back-flipped onto the beast's head and drove his sword into its skull.

"Barret! Lay down cover fire! We're getting out of here! And try not to kill any of the females!"

"How do ya tell which is which?"

Cid pulled his spear from the face of one with a particularly nasty under-bite. "The males got a &*^$."

"I know that! Ya wan' me ta ask 'em ta turn around?"

Cait put his hands over his ears. "Oh for the love of... Some of us are trying to _escape_ here!"

Glittering silver hexagons flashed for a moment in front of everyone there. "Zack! Hurry!"

Zack swooped by Aerith, scooping her up in the process. "Aww. Were you worried?"

"Maybe a little."

"Just a little? Kunsel! Eight o'clock!"

Kunsel shot a fireball behind and to his left before jumping out of the way of the enraged mother dual horn before him. "You sure it wouldn't be easier to just wipe out the herd?"

"If we don't have to, I don't want to. Vincent! I said not to kill the females!"

"Technically, you gave that order to Barret." Vincent fired again, then ran to Zack's side. "How do you plan to get everyone far enough away for the herd to give up?"

Zack frowned for a moment. "Kunsel! Grab Cid! I'll get Barret!" He handed Aerith over to Vincent. "Be careful with her. And see if you can get Cait, too."

"Hey!" Cait tried to coax his moogle into waddling faster. "Why'd that sound like an after-thought? Ye need me and ye know iiaaaaAAA!" His protest was cut short as he found himself clinging for dear life to Vincent's cloak.

They stopped, mercifully, at the edge of a scrub thicket well away from anything that might want to trample them to death.

Zack dropped Barret without a thought to the larger man's landing. "Phew! You're a terrible passenger, you know that?"

"Hey! I was tryin' to keep from gettin' cut to pieces on 'at over-sized kitchen knife of yours!"

Cid snorted. "Cork it while ya still got some dignity left. So what was that phone call about?"

Zack lost his smile for a moment. "They have a lead on where Cloud's going."

"Ain't that a good thing?"

"Uh, yeah." Zack brought up his smile again, though Kunsel and Aerith could tell it was partially fake. "It's just a pretty dangerous area. So, we better hurry up so we can meet with them."

Everyone looked at Cait, who was busy readjusting himself on his moogle. "Hmm? Ah, yes, well, my information's a bit sketchy from here, but, um, we go this way!" He pointed roughly south east, into the jungle.

*7*7*

A few miles and some odd monster encounters later, Kunsel noticed that Zack seemed to be heading in a more definite direction. And that Zack didn't seem happy about it.

Kunsel could imagine why Zack would feel that way, but at least they were getting closer. Near dusk the group reached a bare hilltop from where they could see bits of a golden structure poking out of the treetops in the distance.

Zack swore. "We might have to keep walking through the night." At the near unanimous groan that elicited, Zack turned to face them. "Come on! It's right there!"

"And what if monsters attack again?" Aerith put her hands on her hips. "We've been tripping over ourselves as it is, wandering around in the dark isn't going to help."

"Huh? Oh, right." Zack rubbed the back of his head. "But... ShinRa could be there and gone by now." He frowned. "Set up camp. I'll go on ahead."

"What?" Aerith grabbed his hand pleading with him with her eyes.

Barret crossed his arms. "And what ya fig're on doin' when ya git there?"

"Look around." Zack curled his fingers around Aerith's as he gazed down at her. "I'm just going to make sure we aren't walking into a trap or anything. Honest."

"Are you sure?" All eyes went to Vincent. "If you're looking at reconnaissance, then perhaps someone with training in that area would be a better choice."

"Like you?"

Cid barely let Vincent get through inclining his head before jumping in. "Gotta learn to delegate, kid. Big part o' bein' a leader."

Zack breathed out hard through his nose. "Fine. Vincent, check things out at the temple. Let's set up camp."

Kunsel offered to look around for fresh food. A few minutes later he called for Aerith to look at something.

"What did you want to show me?"

"Actually, nothing. Look, Zack's pretty tense right now and I think I have a way you could get him to relax."

Aerith had her own ideas on why Zack was tense, but she agreed that he needed to unwind. "How?"

"Three words, SOLDIER Class Sugar-rush."

"What?" Aerith gasped from trying not to laugh.

Kunsel grinned. "Just call him that some time during supper and watch what happens."

*7*7*

Zack all but inhaled his meal. "I wonder how long it'll take Vincent to get to the temple and back. More of whatever this was?"

Aerith reached for the rehydrated steak. "Right away, SOLDIER Class Sugar-rush."

For a moment, the entire hilltop fell silent. Then, Zack started to choke.

"How...? Where...? YOU!" He pointed at Kunsel, who seemed about to die from not laughing. "What did you tell her?"

"Nothing! _snicker_ Just the name. Thought... you'd like the honors."

"You did, huh?"

Cid lit up another cigarette. "I think the rest o' us would like to hear this, too."

"Fine." Zack pulled Aerith down onto his lap, ignoring the resulting yelp. "Though it's not that interesting. I joined SOLDIER and, well, I guess the mako had more of an effect than normal."

Kunsel snorted.

"Hey, I was kinda hyper to begin with and you know it."

"Yeah." Kunsel was still having a hard time not rolling around the campsite. "You _are_ the only guy I've heard of who asked to take the test again after passing it."

Zack shrugged. "It was fun. Mostly. Like camping, only with more explosions. Okay, I did act kinda silly the first month or two... or three."

Cait hopped on top of his mechanical moogle. "Oh? What did ye do?"

Zack looked away and scratched the back of his head. "I kinda kidnapped the guys who didn't pass so we could run through the coarse again."

Kunsel sat up straight. "Never mind that the equipment wasn't there any more. Or that you couldn't drive!"

Zack held his hands up in defense. "No one died!"

"We came pretty close when the MPs found us and you sped up."

"I mixed up the gas and break pedals! Come on! I was thirteen!"

"Hang on." Cid broke in there. "Ain't the minimum age to enlist fourteen?"

Barret nodded. "Tha's how it was when I was a kid. Though we didn't have SOLDIER then."

Zack seemed to shrink slightly. "I, uh, lied about my age."

That sent everyone roaring with laughter.

Cid wiped a tear from his eye. "And they didn't catch ya right off? You're good, kid!"

Barret slapped Zack on the back hard enough that anyone else would've face-planted in the campfire. "Nothin' ta be 'shamed of, lotsa kids try ta join the army when they're too young. Ya got in an' did good. Tha's what counts."

"Some o' my best men were underage. Didn' always start out the best, but they were a hell of a lot more motivated than the kids willin' to wait."

Barret turned to Cid. "You're in the army?"

"'Course I was! How'd ya think I gotta be captain? Been tryin' to get ShinRa to get a separate air force fer years. Not that it'd probably make much difference. Either that tub o' lard Palmer'd be in charge or ol' General 'We have reserves' Heidegger."

Kunsel snorted. "Heidegger would run an air force straight into the ground. Literally. Hey, Zack, you didn't get to the real reason you got that designation."

Laughing, Zack shook his head. "No one would believe me if I told it."

"Yeah, probably." Kunsel set his hands on his knees as he addressed the group. "So after destroying several army vehicles and nearly killing the trainees (Hey!) _and_ somehow avoiding a court martial, ShinRa decided that Zack's first mission should be somewhere outside Midgar. Way outside."

"I'm starting to regret letting him tell this," Zack whispered into Aerith's ear.

"... So he goes running at the levricons waving his sword and whooping like a loon. By the time everyone caught up, he'd taken down half the flock, was this close to needing a phoenix down, and still grinning from ear to ear."

Aerith giggled. "Maybe you could tell an embarrassing story about him as revenge?"

"You're assuming I have any. I think the most trouble he's been in was just because I roped him into it."

Kunsel looked directly at Zack. "Yeah, and I still owe you for that KP incident."

Barret and Cid were nearly on their backs from laughter. Cid had to abandon his ever-present cigarette to keep from choking. "Damn! How the hell'd you survive? You have some luck, kid."

Zack grinned wryly. "That's one way of putting it."

They talked and laughed for a while longer until only Zack and Kunsel could see outside the firelight. As everyone got ready for sleep, Aerith noticed that Zack set his bedroll up next to hers.

Zack smiled. "Gotta make sure my favorite girl isn't lonely."

"Your favorite?"

"Yeah. Well, besides my mom." He shrugged. "You know."

Aerith hummed. "I think I do."

They were about to drift off when a dark shape entered the camp.

"There's trouble."

*7*7*

He heard laughing. Everyone he knew sat around a campfire, happy. The three most important people sat together, happiest of all.

One step. From the dark into the light.

They were gone.

"We never really needed you."

"You just get in the way."

"Zack's strong and a great leader."

"What are you?"

"A failure."

_Failure._ He never achieved anything on his own. He always relied on others. He lived because others sacrificed. Everything he did, someone else could do better.

So he fell and let the darkness take him again.

_Since there's going to be a lot of Cait around for the next few chapters (probably) and I can't think of anything else to say, I thought I'd give a little explanation for why I'm treating his dialog the way I am. After all, I am making a bit of an effort to simulate how Barret and Cid talk, but not so much with Cait. Why is that?_

_'Cause if E weer tae do sae, it'd be nar a' unda'standable a' one o' Robart Burns' po'ms. An' E hae no desire tae confoos meh readars. Now pardon meh while E recite Scots Wha Hae._


	59. And The Temple of Doom

**Chapter Fifty-Eight - And the Temple of Doom**

Dawn had just started to burn off the jungle mists when they reached the chasm separating the temple from everything else. A single wood and rope bridge seemed to be their only way across.

Aerith slipped from Zack's back and ran partway onto the bridge before laying down with her ear pressed to the wood.

"This is... the Temple of the Ancients..."

Cid took a long drag on his cigarette. "Glad ta hear it. Be kinda annoyin' if there were more than one temple out in the middle o' nowhere."

Kunsel snorted. "And I thought I was insensitive."

Aerith acted like she didn't hear. She kept talking to someone, or something, that only she could hear. She didn't even acknowledge Zack when he knelt beside her.

"I don't understand..." Suddenly, she faced Zack as if seeing him for the first time. "I want to go inside!"

Zack nodded as he helped Aerith to her feet. The moment he looked up, he frowned and stepped between her and the temple.

"What is it?"

"Someone's up there."

The rest of the team made their way onto the bridge, carefully positioning themselves between Aerith and anything that might prove dangerous.

Zack reached the other side first. At his feet lay one of the men in black cloaks.

The figure started to stand, revealing that in this case, the remnants of a person was a woman. Her skin was almost as white as her hair and stretched over her face as if there were nothing underneath besides bone. She stared at Zack for a moment before rasping out two words. "Black... Materia..."

With that, she crumpled to the ground. Kunsel approached when it became apparent that Zack wasn't moving. He bent down and examined the body. "Number nine. Guess they weren't all guys."

A moment later, her body started to glow. The Lifestream reclaimed one of its own.

Barret broke the silence first. "So where's the trouble the spook was talkin' 'bout?"

Vincent's cape flapped in a non-existent breeze as he pointed to the temple entrance.

Just inside, Zack was the first to notice what Vincent probably meant.

"Tseng!"

Tseng tried to pull himself into more of a seated position, but only managed to draw attention to the long, bleeding gash in his stomach. He doubled over for a moment before regaining some control.

"You... shouldn't be here."

"That's all you have to say? After everything that's happened?" Zack glanced down at Tseng's wound. "Sephiroth's here, isn't he."

Tseng just barely managed to nod. "It's not what you think. We were had. Sephiroth... isn't after the Promised Land. Damn it!" He punched the floor next to him as a fresh wave of pain swept over him. "The President... was wrong."

"You're all wrong." Aerith stepped forward. "The Promised Land isn't what you imagined."

"That's not my concern." Tseng looked up at Aerith. "If you care about Zack, you won't let him enter the temple."

"What do you know about caring for someone?" She turned her back on him. "I won't help you. I never would have."

Tseng almost laughed, but it turned into a cough. "That does... sound like you."

While this was happening, Kunsel ushered everyone else outside for 'guard duty.' He came back and knelt close enough so he could talk to Tseng without Aerith hearing. Though she did seem occupied with being comforted by Zack.

"We know about Reunion Theory. That's why you don't want Zack going inside, right?"

Tseng blinked a few times before managing to respond. "How did you...?"

"The lab in Nibelheim. Look, I know what it's like for Turks. You have to follow orders even if they conflict with your personal feelings. But from the looks of things, you're dead to ShinRa. You don't have any reason to follow them anymore."

Tseng grimaced. "I'm not dead yet."

"ShinRa might see it differently."

For a moment, Tseng seemed to consider the possibility. "What do you want?"

"Does Sephiroth have the Black Materia?"

Tseng tried to shake his head, but the movement proved too painful. "Not... that I know of."

"Do you have the keystone?"

Tseng clenched his jaw as he looked up at Kunsel. "I told you... don't go inside."

"You said Zack shouldn't. Doesn't mean the rest of us can't."

"Of course... Here." He managed to pull the now blood-stained stone out of his pocket. "Though it's likely a trap. Why else... would he have let me live?"

Kunsel took the stone. "I'll keep that in mind."

*7*7*

Zack was bored. While he had agreed to stay outside on guard duty, having nothing to do gave him a horrible itch.

Maybe if Aerith had stayed outside with him. No. That would have been just awkward, since Tseng was laying half conscious next to the path. And Vincent was around here someplace, too.

About a hundred squats later he was still bored. And itchy. He couldn't connect to Kunsel's or Aerith's phones, either.

He had to go inside. What if they were in trouble? What if Aerith was in trouble?

"What am I thinking?" Zack rubbed his eyes. Aside from Cait, he trusted everyone to watch each other's backs. And he never had a problem with the team splitting up before.

He just really, really wanted to go inside the temple.

Which meant...

"Tseng!"

A moment of silence before Tseng managed to grunt. "Zack."

"Did Sephiroth leave the temple?"

A longer pause. "I don't know."

"Damn it! I have to go in there! I have to..."

"Zack!" With a great deal of effort, Tseng managed to drag himself into a more or less seated position. "You cannot enter the temple if Sephiroth is inside."

"That's why I have to go inside!"

Tseng sighed and loosened his grip on his stomach. Aerith had, with some persuasion, healed the worst of the wound, but it still hurt. "Are you aware of the full implications of Reunion Theory?"

"I'm going to guess no."

"The closer the pieces are to the main body, the more control the main body has over the pieces."

The words sank in slowly, reflected by the widening of Zack's eyes.

*7*7*

"Words... feelings... So many of them here." Aerith stood in the middle of the raised path as if in a daze.

Cid ran past her to get a better look of their surroundings. Several other paths and stairways twisted about the seemingly endless interior. Climbing vines thrived in what looked and felt like full noon-day sunlight. "$^&*%#! What the hell's with this place!"

"Don't know." Kunsel frowned as he examined the stairs up to the next level. "It seems stable enough, tho... Everyone, down!"

Rather than hit the deck, Barret brought up his gun-arm. "Wha' is it?"

"Someone's here." Kunsel watched the odd little figure in a blue robe and conical hat hop toward one of the many archways below them.

Aerith ran up the stairs. "We have to catch him!"

"Wait! Aerith! Stay with the group!"

The words barely left Kunsel's mouth when they all heard Aerith scream. From another platform above them an enormous cat pounced on her.

No, not a cat, exactly. As Kunsel jumped up the stairs, he realized that there was a second body, much like a man with horns, fused to the first one's back.

He aimed a strike at the cat part's neck. At the last second, he had to dodge to avoid a blow from the man part's arm. The monster was left with just a scratch.

Barret bellowed as he emptied his clip into the upper half of the monster.

"Hang on, lassie!" Cait checked Aerith for injuries as his moogle pulled her out from under the monster's paws.

"Cid, get behind it! Everyone, shield your eyes!" Kunsel tossed what looked like a small missile into the monster's topmost face. Everyone ducked their heads as the explosion lit up the platform.

The monster didn't have such luck. Out of the blinding light and smoke, Kunsel and Cid attacked from both sides. It roared as Cid stabbed it where the two bodies met. Kunsel cut the upper body's roar short along with its head.

Kunsel back-flipped off the monster moments before about half a dozen stone spikes pierced its belly.

"Phew! I Sure hope we don't run inta any more o' those things!"

Cid glared at Cait. "Ya didn't do anything except throw in the finishing blow!"

"I rescued the fair damsel." Cait stood at his full height in an indignant pose. "That should count for something."

Aerith cut off any further arguments. "Everyone did just fine. Right now we have to find that little man."

"Yeah, yeah, sure." Cid toed the body as if making sure it was dead. "What's a monster doin' in here, anyway?"

"Security?" Kunsel shrugged. "Come on. I think I see a stairway down to the lowest level."

*7*7*

Yuffie winced as Tifa pulled the last stinger out of her arm. "I really hate those bugs. Can we go back to town and pick up like a ton of bug spray?"

"Only if you're willing to carry it. And swim across the channel."

Yuffie's face contorted as she imagined doing that. "Ugh. No thanks. But I would like some better materia. Nothing I do seems to work against those things."

Tifa nodded. "They are pretty hard to hit."

"And they keep stinging me and making me go berserk! It's so annoying!"

Tifa decided against pointing out that it was also dangerous since Yuffie probably already knew that. A moment later, Nanaki returned from scouting.

"I've managed to pick up Cloud's scent. He seems to be heading toward a large structure several miles in that direction." He swished his tail behind him.

"The temple?"

"Quite likely."

Tifa took out her phone but didn't open it.

"Is it broken?" Yuffie leaned forward to get a better look.

"No. It's just, last time I called they were in the middle of a fight. I know Zack said to call whenever we find something but..."

"Oh come on!" Yuffie snatched the phone away and started dialing.

* * *

_The last chapter ended on a bit of a downer, so why not end this one with some humor? Honestly? I didn't know where else to go with this scene and I was eight screens in so I figured it was as good a place to end as any. Thing is, I'm also up to where I've got written material pre-made. Am I going to be able to continue the weekly updates? Will this fanfic languish while I try to kick-start my muse? What the heck am I doing when I have about a dozen real world things to take care of? AAA!_

_Here's hoping..._


	60. Catacombs

**Chapter Fifty-Nine - Catacombs**

Cid started swearing the instant Aerith turned him back. "Dunno what's more humiliatin', gettin' turned into one of those damn frogs, gettin' put to sleep, or both at once. $&*^% fish bait."

"I jes' wan' outta this maze! All this runnin' 'round better be worth it." Barret looked ready to blast a hole in something.

Kunsel shielded his eyes as he looked at the set of ledges above them. "Looks like the only way up is to climb." He pointed to the thick mat of vines stretching up the side of the wall.

Barret shook his head and waved his arms. "Hell no! No way! I ain't climbin' that!"

"But, you can't stay down here by yourself." Aerith swept the walls with her eyes, trying to find some way to get Barret up to the next level.

Kunsel looked up at the ledge they had to reach. "I can jump that high, but I'm not sure if I could do it carrying Barret."

"I don't like the idea of splittin' up more, but I don't see any other way." Cid tapped a bit of ash off his cigarette. "I'm fine with stayin' down here with Barret if y'all promise to keep the cat on a short leash."

"No problem."

Aerith still hesitated, especially when the awkward process of figuring out which of them would go up first started. That got settled when Cid, loudly, suggested that Kunsel carry her. Along with a few profanities and the observation that Aerith needed to start wearing pants.

Despite all that, they still got to the top before Cait. A short walk, thankfully monster-free, took them to a small, gilded chamber with a single occupant. The little man would have seemed completely harmless if any part of his face were visible besides a beard that trailed slightly on the floor.

Aerith sighed in relief. "We finally caught up to you." She bowed as she whispered something that she probably hadn't intended anyone else to hear. "I'm sorry. You waited for me." Then she turned and took a stance that reminded Kunsel of some old movies where the herald would make a proclamation for the king. "These are the spirit bodies of the Ancients. They've been away from their Planet for a long time to protect this Temple."

"'They'?" Cait looked around. There was no one else in the room.

"There are probably more elsewhere." Kunsel wondered if some of the stranger monsters they'd run into were actually Ancients taking an active role in the temple's defense.

Aerith nodded. "Over the many years, they've lost the ability to talk. Well, they didn't need words to begin with since there was only one purpose for those left in the temple." Suddenly, she turned to the little man with her hands clasped. "Please, talk to me!"

Kunsel took a step forward as the little man simply rocked back and forth. Aerith shook her head.

"No good. I don't understand the rest. Are you afraid...? Is it because Sephiroth is in the Temple? Or something else?"

"He's what?" Cait clung to Kunsel's pant leg. "Ye didn't say anythin' about that!"

Kunsel shook Cait off of him. "What are you scared of? You aren't even really here."

"_I'm_ here! Reeve's the one safe an' sound in his office!"

"Uh, right. You'll ha- what the hell?" Kunsel raced out of the chamber with Aerith and Cait following behind asking what was wrong.

The next explosion they could all hear, and see. They also heard Barret swear as he reloaded.

Cid, on the other hand, seemed to be having the time of his life. He stabbed one over sized lizard in the stomach before jumping on the back of another that immediately started bucking like rabid chocobo.

"Yippee-ki-yay, $%^#&!"

Kunsel glanced at Aerith. "Remind me to never let him near mako. Ever."

"Should we help?"

"Nah. Let them have some fun." Kunsel glanced back down. "Looks like they're about done, anyway."

*7*7*

"Ya gotta be $^&# kidding me! Couldn't these Ancients turn off the security?"

Kunsel shrugged. "Maybe they can't, since Sephiroth is still in here."

"Fat lotta good it does." Barret eyed the rolling wall of rock as if trying to determine if he could blow a hole in it. "Guy can walk through walls."

Cid stared at Barret. "Ya serious? #$&#! Next y'all be tellin' me he can fly."

"Ah... maybe we should be focusin' on findin' a way past this trap."

It felt weird to agree with Cait at this point, but Kunsel nodded. "Yeah. Each rock has a gap in it. I think if we can time it right we can get through."

"Timin' huh?" Cid reached into his jacket and pulled out a stick of dynamite. Lighting it with his cigarette, he tossed it at a passing rock that had the gap facing up. "Fire in the hole!"

Less than a second later a blast rocked the passage way. Stone shrapnel littered the spot where the group had been.

Several yards behind that spot Kunsel stood still ready to block anything that came his way. A moment later he relaxed, barely, and turned to check on everyone else. They seemed fine, if a little shocked.

"You," Kunsel pointed to Cid, "are insane."

Cid dusted himself off. "It worked, di'n' it? Nice reflexes."

True, the broken bits of stone did block the other rocks from rolling past, and provided a handy, if somewhat unstable, ramp up to the top. Still, Kunsel couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"Sure. Let's just hope we can all fit."

They decided Kunsel would go first, followed by Barret so Kunsel could push Barret out if he got stuck. Cid came after, then Cait, then Aerith. They managed to get about halfway when Aerith suddenly cried out.

"Hurry, this way!"

Cid and Barret swore. Kunsel tried to ask what was wrong. Cait was the only one who easily followed Aerith into the partially blocked side passage. Eventually, with a lot of pushing and shoving, the others were able to enter a round chamber lit by a glowing purple pool.

Aerith stood at the edge of the pool. "It's full of the knowledge of the Ancients. No... not knowledge... consciousness... a living soul..."

"Well, that ain't creepy."

Kunsel jabbed Cid in the ribs.

Aerith continued to murmur to herself as if she was no longer aware of her audience. Which was entirely possible, Kunsel realized.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand. What is it? ... Danger? An evil... consciousness? You're going to show me?"

Aerith leaned forward more. Afraid that she would fall in, the guys stepped forward. In that instant the world went white.

"What the $^&#?"

"SHHH!"

The void filled with a ghost-like image of a room lined with strange murals. Near an image that seemed to depict a religious ceremony stood Tseng.

Barret waved his gun-arm at the image. "Hey! Wha's he doin' there? Di'n' we leave him outside?"

"This probably happened in the past. Now shut up so the rest of us can listen."

Before them, Elena ran into the picture next to Tseng. "Tseng, what's this? Can we find the Promised Land with this?"

Tseng didn't answer for a moment. "I wonder. Anyway, we have to report to the President."

Elena nodded. "Be careful, Tseng." She seemed ready to leave when Tseng stopped her.

"Hey, Elena, how about dinner after this job's over?"

Cait cocked his head. "Dinner? I wouldn't have thought Tseng would be the sort to date younger women."

"I'm havin' a hard time picturin' a Turk datin'." Barret crossed his arms. "This goin' anywheres or we jes' peepin'?"

"Would you be qui- what the hell!" Kunsel's attention snapped back to the scene before them. The world seemed to flicker white for a moment. Then Sephiroth, or, at least, a transparent image of him, walked past. He stopped and looked over his shoulder. Kunsel got the disturbing feeling that Sephiroth could see them.

But that was impossible, this was just a memory they were watching. So why did Sephiroth smirk like that?

Sephiroth floated behind Tseng, only turning opaque once he touched the ground. Tseng noticed the presence behind him and turned.

"Sephiroth!"

Sephiroth's back was turned to them so they couldn't see his face, but Kunsel could almost feel the smirk. "So you opened the door. Well done."

Tseng took a step forward before reconsidering. "This place... what is it?"

"A lost treasure house of knowledge. The wisdom of the Ancients..." Sephiroth turned away and raised his arms. "I am becoming one with the Planet."

"One with the Planet?"

The world flickered again. Something seemed to separate from Sephiroth as he continued speaking. "You stupid fools. You have never even thought about it. All the spirit energy of this Planet. All its wisdom...

knowledge... I will meld with it all. I will become one with it... It will become one with me."

"You can do that?"

"He can do that?" Cid and Barret echoed Tseng's amazement.

That time Kunsel ignored them. He was far more concerned with following Sephiroth's movements and the flickering shadow that had separated from him.

Especially when the shadow lowered its arms and seemed to stare straight at them.

Sephiroth motioned at the mural. "The way lies here."

The shadow laughed. "Only death awaits you all. But do not fear."

Sephiroth swung his sword at Tseng. The world slowly faded into red. "For it is through death that a new spirit energy is born. Soon, you will live again as a part of me."

Again the world flickered. When it stopped, they were all standing by the pool.

"Did you see it?"

"Yeah." Though Kunsel somewhat wished he hadn't.

"That's &^*# up. He really thinks he can become one with the planet?"

Barret looked torn between fainting and shooting something. "Wha's gonna happen ta everythin' if he does that? Wha'll happen ta Marlene?"

"Did you pay any attention at all?" Kunsel turned to Aerith. "Where is the room with the pictures on the walls?"

She closed her eyes for a moment. "Almost there."

Kunsel sighed. "I suppose Sephiroth is waiting for us. We'll have to be careful."

"Ya sure are a cautious one. Youngsters are supposed to be more enthusiastic." Cid glanced back at the pool. "But ya got a point. No sense dyin' if we don't have to."

Even without that to look forward to, no one was in a hurry to return to the tunnel.

*7*7*

Something was going on. Of course, in one sense, that was obvious, but beyond what they were already involved in. Tifa wanted to run. She wanted to scream, specifically at Zack. When she got the phone away from Yuffie and told Zack where Cloud seemed to be going all he said was "I see."

Just that. As if he expected it.

Then there was what Nanaki said, about there being something off about Cloud's scent. He thought maybe Cloud was sick, though he couldn't say for certain.

They stopped to rest on a hilltop with the temple in the distance. At least, Tifa stopped. She couldn't rest with her mind going the way it was. The most she could do was try not to fall apart. So she wasn't aware of what Yuffie and Nanaki were up to until Nanaki spoke.

"Strange."

"What's that?" Tifa sat bolt upright.

"The others were here, too, but much earlier than Cloud."

Yuffie nodded. "There's what's left of a camp fire over there. Do you think Cloud's trying to catch up with us?"

"I hope so." Though Tifa sincerely doubted it.

_You may have noticed that this chapter and the one before it are somewhat shorter than usual. It's part of my (perhaps vain) effort to keep up with the once a week update schedule._

_As for the chapter itself, I've been running into another difficulty in writing this section. The architecture and all those crazy traps! It's like the love-child of M.C. Escher and Indiana Jones. Maybe if I skip over some of the more tedious bits... There are things that work in video games that don't work so well in prose._


	61. God Complex

**Chapter Sixty - God Complex**

"Well, that was interesting." Kunsel did a quick check just to make sure everyone made it through the passage way in one piece. Again.

Cid snorted. "That's one way o' puttin' it. Damn it, woman! Did'ja have ta hit that hard?"

"It was the only thing I could think of to break the spell."

"Ye'd rather she let ye stick one o' us?"

"Depends on who I was about to stick." Cid glared at Cait, who promptly curled up on top of his moogle.

Kunsel jumped in before another fight could break out. "Hey, Aerith did the right thing. You are not sticking anyone here. And you," he pointed at Cait, "just keep quiet."

"Over here!" Barret waved from a little further ahead. "It's that li'l spirit guy."

By the time everyone got to the ledge the 'spirit guy' was gone. Aerith ran straight for the large double doors to their right and tried to pull them open. "It's locked."

Kunsel tried the door, too. He even made sure it didn't swing inward. Definitely locked. "Great. So where did the little guy go?"

"Down there." Cid pointed a couple ledges below them. The small figure hopped toward an opening in the wall and disappeared.

"Ah. Now we have to catch him. Come on." Kunsel led them to a passageway at the far side of the ledge.

A moment later they emerged on one of the lower ledges.

"Did I miss sum'in'?"

"I think we all did. Hang on." Kunsel retraced their steps. Or tried to. He came out in the middle of the ledge just above them.

Aerith pointed up. "He's right next to you!"

Kunsel dove at the little spirit and missed. It hopped into another passageway, this time re-emerging at the far end of the ledge the rest of the team was on.

Nearly a minute passed with them chasing the spirit, trying different passageways, and generally becoming more confused.

"When I get my hands on 'at li'l..." Barret either choked on an appropriate name or was rendered speechless with rage. Everyone else was just glad he didn't start shooting random things.

Cid glared at the spirit as it hopped away one level below them. "Now I know how cartoon characters feel like, and I'm sick of it. Shouldn't that spirit want us to get through quickly?"

"Maybe it's a test to see if we're clever enough to deal with what ever's next."

Barret managed to find his voice again just as Kunse spoke. "Wha' the hell you so calm about! Sephiroth could be gettin' away wit' the black materia while we're &*^% around in here!"

Kunsel frowned. "That's why I'm calm. There's a pattern to his movements. Watch." He stepped over to one of the passageways. A moment later the spirit ran into him. It made an odd mumbling noise before scurrying away.

"Wha'd you let him go for? He's gotta unlock the door first!"

Kunsel glanced back at Barret. "He did."

"Yeah? And how d'you know?"

"I heard the door unlatch. Come on. I think this next passageway leads to the top level."

It took them a couple tries, but they managed to get to the top level. From there it was a simple matter of opening the door. Aerith tried to go through first, but Kunsel blocked her way.

"We're here to protect you, remember? I know this is important to your past, but you can't be reckless either."

As it turned out, the room was empty. It was also familiar.

"It's the room with the murals." Aerith stepped forward and touched the wall reverently.

Kunsel looked around. "And no Sephiroth." No way this could be that easy. Not for them. Though he wouldn't complain if it was.

"Ain't that a good thing?" Cid squinted, trying to make sense of the murals, but gave up after a moment. "Let's just find that materia and get outta here."

"Yeah." Except, if Sephiroth wasn't in the temple, then where was he? Kunsel kept an eye on the murals as they walked. It looked more like it was depicting a natural disaster than anything about the Promised Land.

Or maybe not so natural.

Kunsel took out his phone and started taking pictures of the wall. The others let him be while they escorted Aerith toward what seemed to be a small altar.

"Something about this..." Kunsel didn't get a chance to finish his thought.

"What the hell!"

"Who killed the ^&*# lights?"

Then Aerith screamed.

*7*7*

"Damn it!" Zack stopped himself just short of punching the wall of the temple. Sephiroth was somewhere inside and Cloud was coming. Go confront Sephiroth? Wait for Cloud?

Anxiety threatened to take over completely. He couldn't think straight. Nothing helped. Pacing, doing squats, nothing.

_Is this what Angeal went through?_

"I have to find Sephiroth."

"Find me? So cold. I am always by your side."

Zack spun around. There, by the entrance, stood Sephiroth just as Zack remembered him. Except this Sephiroth had a presence that threatened to choke Zack.

Ignoring this, Zack drew his sword. "What are you doing?" A stupid question, maybe, but it was the only thing he could think of. He remembered in painful detail his last fight with Sephiroth. If he could stall just a little maybe Kunsel and the others would show up to help.

Sephiroth chuckled barely loud enough for even Zack to hear. "Why don't you go inside and find out for yourself?"

"And leave you out here with Tseng? I don't think so. I trust everyone to find anything that might be important in there?"

"What if they aren't in a position to find anything?" Sephiroth chuckled again at Zack's barely contained shock.

"What did you do?"

"It doesn't matter. Soon everything will become a part of me." He turned away with his arms spread wide. "I am becoming one with the planet."

That did not sound good. "How are you going to do that?"

Sephiroth turned toward him again. Zack resisted the urge to rub his eyes. There had to be something wrong with them because for a moment he thought he saw two Sephiroths.

"It's simple. Once the planet is hurt, it gathers spirit energy to heal the injury." Sephiroth slashed at thin air, making Zack jump back an inch or two. "The amount of energy gathered depends on the size of the injury." He plunged his sword into the ground as if to illustrate his point. "What would happen if there was an injury that threatened the very life of the planet? Think how much energy would be gathered!"

"The life of the planet? You can't do that!"

"I can. Your friends have already seen it." Sephiroth started to flicker as if he were a light bulb about to go out.

Zack stepped back and rubbed his eyes. It didn't help. The flickering only increased.

"At the center of the wound will be me. All that energy will be mine. By merging with all the energy of the planet, I will become a new life forn, a new existence. Melding with the planet... I will cease to exist as I am now. Only to be reborn as a 'god' to rule over every soul."

"But if you do that, there won't be anyone to rule over!" Zack could barely look at Sephiroth. Rather than flickering, he seemed to be pulsing white-hot energy.

Sephiroth's laughter seemed to come from every direction. "You do not see. Perhaps I should show you."

The pulsing form moved as if to strike. Zack tried to block, but he couldn't move. He couldn't speak or even breath. All he could do was close his eyes and wait.

Instead of feeling steel slice through his body, he heard a gunshot. A moment later he could breath and move. Evidence of that being him falling to his knees gasping for breath.

"Do you need help?" Vincent. Of course.

Zack took another moment to gulp down sweet, sweet air. "Just, gimme a sec." Somehow he managed to get to his feet. "Where were you?"

"Above." The pause that followed was just long enough to feel awkward. "That was Sephiroth."

Zack couldn't tell if it was really a statement or a question. He chose to treat it as the latter. "Yeah, sorta. It's...confusing."

Vincent responded with a low hum. "Then we should concentrate on keeping this door open."

"Yeah. For once, I don't really mind waiting."

* * *

_Another short chapter. Well, it seemed like a good place and the next scene runs on for a long time. Not that it drags on (I hope it doesn't!) just that there's a lot happening and it takes a while to tell. I always thought that Sephiroth must've been holding back a lot, just to torture Cloud. Because if he used all the abilities he demonstrated over the course of the game he should have been impossible to defeat. That telekinesis at least would make things pretty difficult. A sneak attack might work, but the only characters powerful enough to wound him also wouldn't be able to sneak up on him because of the Jenova cells they carry. Sephiroth's downfall has always been underestimating Cloud. Would he also underestimate Zack? He's familiar with Zack's abilities and even helped train him. What a dilemma!_


	62. Apparent Sacrifice

_I do not understand why someone would disable private messaging. Anyway, to those who reviewed and apparently do not want me to thank them, I thank you anyway._

* * *

**Chapter Sixty-One - Apparent Sacrifice**

"Where... the hell... did this... come from?"

"Shut up and shoot the &*^% thing!"

"I can't get a clear shot!"

"Aerith! Watch out!"

She crossed her hands in front of her. Just before the red dragon's tail could cut through her, a shimmering barrier rose around her and the others. Even so, the momentum of the attack threw her back into the far wall.

"I've got her!" Cait ran as best as his moogle could away from the battle.

Kunsel would have sighed with relief if he weren't busy dodging the dragon's breath. Finally, Barret got through the dragon's defenses. It roared in pain as it moved its attention to the new threat.

Just in time for Cid to jump from behind. His aim was the dragon's skull, but the tip of his spear slid off the bone, penetrating the edge of its neck.

The dragon swung its head to rid itself of its unwanted passenger.

Kunsel leaped forward. Its throat was exposed. He swung at the same moment that Cid lost his grip.

The two collided, but Kunsel did manage to land a fatal injury first.

Not fatal enough. It opened its mouth for another fire attack.

"Blizzara!"

A huge chunk of ice fell onto the dragon's head, crushing it.

Kunsel took a moment to make sure the dragon was dead before turning to his teammates. "Anyone else think that was anticlimactic?"

"You ^%*% kiddin' me? Just be glad its dead!"

Barret scowled. "Though I dun' like bein' saved by that cat."

"It wouldn't kill ye to show a li'l gratitude."

"I'm more concerned with where you got the ice materia." Kunsel glanced at Aerith.

She set her hands on her hips and tilted her chin at Kunsel. "I gave it to him. I didn't have enough energy to cast any more spells. Besides, it's silly to treat him like this. He may be a spy, but he's helping us right now. We should let him."

"The little lady's got a point, there. Though do ya have ta scream whatever yer castin' through that megaphone o' yours?"

"That's just how it works for me."

Kunsel rubbed his eyes with one hand. "Fine. Fine. Let's just find the black materia and get out of here."

"And how d'ya plan on gettin' past the dragon? Hey! Where'd it go?"

Aerith stepped toward the altar. "It was no longer needed."

Still a little skeptical, everyone else followed her. Kusel took a moment to pick up a summon materia that appeared where the dragon had been.

Barret frowned at the pyramid floating over the altar. "Wha's this?" He started to reach for it when Cid jabbed him with the blunt end of his spear.

"Don't touch it if ya don't know what it does!"

"There's something written here." Aerith leaned in close. "Bl...a...ck ma...te..ri...a..."

Kunsel cocked his head to one side. He couldn't make heads or tails of the writing. "Okay, so does it say anything about where it is, or how to get it?"

"I'll ask." Aerith ran back and forth, muttering and occasionally tilting her head as if she were trying to get better reception. "What? Really?"

That did not sound good. Kunsel was preparing himself for an answer of 'it's not here' when Aerith ran back to the group.

"They said that the temple itself is the black materia."

"What? How's that even possible?"

Aerith looked a little confused, too. "This whole building is the black materia?"

"Never heard o' any materia that big." Cid snorted. "Ya sure these spirits ain't pullin' your leg?"

"I'm sure." Any trace of uncertainty vanished at the accusation.

"Then it can't be moved." But could it be used? Kunsel was about to study the murals for clues when Aerith spoke again.

"It's pretty hard. You see this is a model of the temple." She placed her hand just above the floating model. "And inside it is a device, which gets smaller each time you solve a puzzle. As the model becomes smaller, you become smaller too. Until it's small enough to fit in the palm of your hand."

"Huh. Wait, you said 'you' get smaller. There's a catch, isn't there."

Aerith nodded. "You can only solve the puzzles from inside. So, anyone who solves the puzzle will be crushed by the temple."

"Makes sense." If the materia was that terrible, it would make even more sense to not have a way to move it at all. But then, Kunsel thought, perhaps the Ancients thought it might be needed someday. After all, they still weren't sure exactly what it did.

"Well, this was a &*^% waste of time. No one's gettin' it out like that."

"Maybe, maybe not." Kunsel started pacing as he tried to sort out all his thoughts. On the one hand, the materia wouldn't do Sephiroth any good if he had to kill himself to get it. But what about his copies?

Like the one they found outside the temple.

"Ah! That's it!"

Cid cocked an eyebrow at Kunsel. "What's it?"

"Sephiroth can manifest himself through his copies! He was never in the temple! It was that woman we found outside the whole time. If he can control his copies to that extent then he could just use one to solve the puzzles for him."

"Hey, we saw that... memory-whatever." Barret crossed his arms as best he could. "It wasn't no woman that attacked that Turk."

Cid scoffed. "You even know what 'manifest' means? Though it does sound kinda out there. If that's so, why didn't Sephiroth do just that?"

Aerith gasped. "Because she was dying! She didn't have long enough to solve all the puzzles!"

"Yeah, maybe. So this is the trap. We take it out and risk Sephiroth taking it from us or we guard the temple waiting for Sephiroth to send another copy after the materia."

"With no &*%$ clue when that might be, or even if he will. Ya got one hell of a choice, kid."

"Like I'm going to ask anyone to stay inside the temple while it shrinks."

"I'll do it."

Everyone stared at Cait. Kunsel shook his head. "We can't let ShinRa get the black materia, either."

"Who am I goin' to give it to?"

"He's up ta som'in'. Ya can't trust him."

Cait shrugged. "Ye don't have much of a choice. None o' ye can do it, so use my stuffed body for the sake of the planet."

Despite everything, Aerith felt touched by his words. "Cait..."

Cid knocked a bit of ash off his cigarette. "Might as well. Ain't like he's really alive."

"Hey, now!"

Before the conversation could get more off topic, Kunsel stepped in. "We are not discussing metaphysics right now. Cait, stay here and give us enough time to find an exit."

"And how much time would that be?"

"We'll call when we find it."

"A'right! Le's git outta here!" Barret very nearly left without everyone else.

Aerith hesitated to leave. "Cait, about my mom..."

"Don't ye worry none, lass. She's safe and sound. None o' the other executives know where she is."

"Thank you."

"Aw, I should be thankin' ye." Cait managed to sound choked up. "Believin' in me even though ye know I'm a spy. Well, this is the final, final farewell! Get outta here safe and even if another Cait Sith comes around, don't ye forget me."

"I won't. I don't think I could." Aerith smiled and hugged the little robot before Kunsel dragged her away. Before the door closed, she shouted back, "Be strong, Cait!"

*7*7*

The target was there, almost within grasp.

_Not yet._

Soon, though. A quivering anticipation from some outside source confirmed that.

_Fools._

*7*7*

"Wonder why the clock room stopped working."

"Beats me." Cid glared down the tunnel. "This had better be the exit, 'cause it looks like we ain't got much of a choice."

The passage soon opened into a wide hall with a single door at the far end. Kunsel motioned for everyone to stay back while he checked it.

"It's warm."

As if in response to that observation, the room shook.

Barret caught himself just short of toppling into Aerith. "That damn cat better not be shrinkin' the temple early!"

"I don't think that's the problem."

"Kunsel! Above you!" Aerith's warning was unnecessary. He, and everyone else there, saw and heard the massive demon seeping through the wall around the door.

"What the &*#$? This more $#&^ up Ancient security?"

Kunsel jumped back to take a defensive position in front of Aerith. "I sure hope so. Aerith, see if you can contact the spirits here and ask them to turn off their monster. Everyone else don't attack unless it attacks first. And whatever you do, don't hit it with any elemental spells. We don't know what might end up healing this thing."

"Who made you leader."

Cid kicked Barret in the shin. "Shut up and do what he says."

"Incoming!"

Too late. The demon, along with the entire wall, crashed into them. Kunsel took most of the blow for Aerith, but she too was thrown back.

"Please... no... Why? ... I see..." Aerith picked herself up. "They can't stop it, but there is something I can do to help." She held her staff up and spun. Golden light clung to her and her friends.

Kunsel didn't know what exactly that did, but the feeling was similar to a barrier spell. "Okay, we hit it with everything we've got!"

Not a moment too soon. Even as they attacked, boulders fell from the ceiling. One bounced off Barret's back.

Barret grinned as he emptied a clip into the demon's neck. "I'm feelin' invincible!"

"Don't expect it to last!" Kunsel drove his sword into its skull. It threw him off, showing little sign that a vital area had been hit.

Cid launched himself at the demon's shoulder. "So less talk, more fight!"

The demon roared. Another barrage of boulders failed to harm its attackers.

Finally, Kunsel felt something give near the joint between demon and wall. "Here! Just above the door!"

"Got it!" Barret roared to match his gun-arm.

The demon roared, too, this time in pain. As with the dragon earlier, it faded until there was no evidence of its existence save for the damage the group had done to the wall.

Kunsel cracked the door open and flipped open his phone. "Cait, we're at the exit. You're good to go. Oh, and... thanks."

"Consider it repayment fer lettin' me stay even after what I did. It's the least I can do."

"Right." Kunsel hung up. It seems... weird... to get sentimental over a robot, especially one that was controlled by the enemy. Even if it acted like a living thing.

He could dwell on that later. They had to get out of the temple.

* * *

_Most of this chapter is one big scene, but a very important scene! Honestly, I don't think I could have broken that up without it sounding awkward. I wonder if Kunsel has a future career in archeaology?_


	63. Strings

**Chapter Sixty-Two - Strings**

Zack hesitated for barely a moment before scooping Aerith up into a fierce hug. This did not escape Kunsel's notice, or the fact that Vincent stood not three feet away, gun drawn and looking about as close to anxious as anyone there had seen him.

Interestingly, Vincent spoke first. "Where is Cait Sith?"

"Getting the black materia for us. I'll explain once we're on the other side of the bridge."

The explanation had to wait a little bit longer. Moments after they finished dragging Tseng across the temple started to glow.

Zack reached for his sword. "Is it supposed to do that?"

"Probably. The temple is the black materia. Cait volunteered to stay inside to shrink it, and himself, down to a portable size."

"Uh huh." Zack looked over the edge of what was now a very large, very empty, hole. "I guess we can save the details for later."

He had one foot over the edge when Aerith joined him. "I want to come, too."

"Okay." Zack scooped her up into a bridal hold and jumped.

"ZAAAAAAAAACK!"

"Hey, it's just a little free fall." He landed against the side of the hole for a second before launching back into open air.

Aerith clung to him in terror. This was so much better than taking a girl to a scary movie. At least until he got to the bottom and she still didn't want to let go.

"Uh, Aerith? I kinda have to bend over to pick up the materia."

"You... should have... though of that... before... scaring me... half to death."

"It wasn't that bad, was it?"

"Just... give me a moment. All right?"

"Sure." Zack used the time to roll the materia (which, it turned out, actually was black) a little closer with his foot.

*7*7*

"The White Rose of Wutai returns! Hey, what happened to the temple?"

Cid recovered first, more or less. "What the hell you doin' here? Y'all're supposed to be looking for Cloud!"

"We are! We can't join up with everyone while we're at it?"

"Cloud's scent led in this direction. However, it has become defuse, as if he has crossed back over his own trail many times."

Kunsel stepped away from keeping watch over the hole. "Cloud's nearby?"

Nanaki nodded. "And has been for several hours."

Kunsel swore under his breath, getting everyone's attention.

"Wha's the problem? Ain't we tryin' to find Spiky?"

"Yeah! I've been chomped and stung and dunked in muck trying to find him!"

Tifa glanced at Yuffie, but didn't correct her. Instead, she turned her attention to Kunsel. "What's wrong with finding Cloud?"

"Nothing. That's not the problem." Kunsel gestured to the surrounding jungle. "If Cloud's been in this area for hours, he knows we're here. But he hasn't contacted us. If he doesn't want to rejoin the group, why is he still here?"

Tifa shook her head and Yuffie looked confused. So it fell to Nanaki to answer.

"He is not here of his own free will."

"NO!" The outburst seemed to drain all the energy out of Tifa. "He can't be... If he's controlled, what can we do?"

Barret huffed. "Knock some sense inta him. He's got a kick in the ass comin' for runnin' out on us in the first place."

"Good luck with that. I kind of doubt he- Did you hear that?"

*7*7*

Zack turned the materia over in his hand. "Well, it sure is a lot bigger than most materia I've seen. I just can't figure out what it does." He handed it over to Aerith. "Are you getting anything?"

"Nothing specific." Her eyes focused on something miles away. "You need great spiritual power to use it. No one person could do it alone. Somewhere special... where the planet's energy has gathered..."

"Like what ShinRa thinks the Promised Land is."

Aerith nodded, her gaze slowly returning to the here and now.

Zack wrapped an arm around Aerith's shoulders. "Well, at least we know no one's going to set it off by accident. I think even Sephiroth would have a hard time using it."

"You think so?"

Zack leaped for the nearest wall, pulling Aerith along with him. With her pressed between his back and solid rock he tried to pin point where the voice came from.

It didn't take long. Sephiroth materialized in the air several yards above the center of the hole. "You underestimate me. I'm far superior to the Ancients. I became a traveler of the Lifestream and gained the knowledge and wisdom of the Ancients. I also gained the knowledge and wisdom of those after the

extinction of the Ancients. And soon, I will create the future."

Aerith peeked out from behind Zack's shoulder. "I won't let you do it! The future is not only yours!"

Sephiroth shook in a mockery of laughter. "I wonder."

A feeling of dread passed through Zack. In an instant he lifted the Buster sword above and behind his head in a block.

Something, a sword, crashed against the blade.

Aerith shrieked.

Zack pushed away and turned in one motion so he could face his opponent. And nearly dropped his sword.

"Cloud?"

*7*7*

The buzzing grew louder until it was a single, high pitched tone.

_Wake up!_

It was time.

The target blocked his first attack.

No. Not the target. The smaller one was the target.

He rushed forward, but the big one got in his way. It was saying something but was drowned out by the noise in his head.

Annoying. Why was the big one stopping him? He had to bring the target to Sephiroth. Sephiroth needed the target. Sephiroth would make the noise go away.

Sephiroth was watching. He could not fail.

An opening. The target screamed.

_Stop! Don't do this!_

The target lay at his feet. What was he supposed to do?

_Black materia._

Ah. That was it. He had to bring the black materia to Sephiroth.

The big one attacked again. It spoke again. No. Yelled.

_What are you doing?_

He couldn't hesitate. Sephiroth was waiting for him. The big one seemed confused. Now was the time.

Almost.

The big one was getting in the way again. Why didn't it understand?

Nothing understood.

Sephiroth had the black materia now. Soon, everything would be better.

Soon.

Sephiroth was gone, but the noise remained.

"Cloud!"

_What?_

"Cloud! What did you do?"

_Zack?_

Cloud gripped his head. It felt like it was being torn apart. How did he end up on his knees? Where was he?

"What did I...? What did I do?"

"You didn't do anything." Aerith's gentle presence approached him. "It's not your fault."

_Liar._

Rage built up in him.

_Never cared. Pathetic. Worthless._

"No... I...!" Any words he might have had morphed into a battle cry.

The big one, Zack, blocked him. Again. And again.

He felt something give, but it wasn't his enemy. Something broke, and he stumbled.

Only for a moment. A moment his enemy could have used but didn't.

_Foolish._

Again he yelled and leaped in for an attack. His enemy moved to block him.

He never got there.

Something, a fist, ran into the side of his face, throwing him off balance.

_Kill it._

He turned to face his attacker. A familiar form.

He raised his sword. It came closer.

He couldn't move. This one, this one he could not hurt. It spoke to him something sad and soothing.

Too close. He was vulnerable. It wrapped its arms around him.

It was so... breakable. Yet he couldn't move. It felt so familiar.

"Cloud." His name? "Cloud. Come back."

"Tifa?"

*7*7*

_What did I do? I don't remember._

_My memories... Since when have they...?_

_If this is a dream, I don't know if I want to wake up._

* * *

_Well, a lot of people called it when they said that this is when Cloud would show up. I almost wanted to change things just so the story wouldn't be quite so predictable, but this is what made sense. Honestly, would Sephiroth pass up such a wonderful opportunity to torture Cloud?_


	64. Cleansing

**Chapter Sixty-Three - Cleansing**

They got to Gongaga around dawn the next day. Half of them, at least, since Cid refused to fudge with the Tiny Bronco's carrying capacity.

So Zack, Aerith, Tifa, Yuffie, Cloud, and (to the annoyance of most) a new Cait Sith stayed with Zack's parents while Cid picked up the rest of the team.

Zack would rather not have put his folks to the trouble, but he knew his mom would chew his ear off if he didn't at least stop by. She took one look at him and insisted that they all stay.

Then she saw Cloud.

"What happened to him! Is he sick?"

"Uh, something like that..."

Minny clicked her tongue then turned to the girls. "Sorry, dears. Normally I'd let you have the bath first, but I think we should get Cloud cleaned up as soon as possible."

"Of course." Aerith smiled.

Tifa just nodded dumbly. She'd barely spoken a word since Cloud lost consciousness. Yuffie made up for it by complaining loudly about how much she stank and how her clothes felt like they were trying to crawl off her.

She did quiet down a little when she found out that the bath was a shed out back with a wood stove underneath.

"So, where's Dad?"

"Out with the other men trying to find a goat that wandered off yesterday. Is this urine? Zack, what's going on?"

He really wasn't sure how much he could, or even should tell her. Though he was fairly certain Cloud wouldn't want to be bathed like an infant. "He, uh, disappeared for a while. When we found him, he was like this."

Minny pinned him with a look that clearly stated that she didn't believe him, but she didn't press. "I'll get the water heated if you're fine with undressing him."

"Yeah." It was a little too familiar, but he was fine with it.

*7*7*

The air inside the house was so different from the last time they were there. Recent events hung heavy over them. Especially, it seemed, Tifa.

Aerith sat down next to Tifa on the couch. "Hey. I wanted to thank you for helping back then."

"I didn't do much."

"But you did enough. I'm sure Cloud will get better now that he's back."

Tifa bowed her head. "How can you be so sure?"

Aerith leaned back. "I suppose I can't. But I do know that if we don't believe in him he'll never get better."

Tifa nodded. She believed in him. The person she doubted was herself.

*7*7*

With Cloud unresponsive, Zack found himself falling into old habits.

"Oh man, did you use your boxers as toilet paper? That's nasty. Come on. I know this isn't the most dignified way to take a bath, but you'll just have to put up with it for a while."

Zack propped Cloud up inside the stone tub so the water came up to his chest.

"Nice and warm, huh?" Zack ruffled Cloud's hair. "I think we'll take care of this first, just in case something decided to make it into a nest."

*7*7*

He was warm and surrounded by a familiar scent. He felt safe. Protected.

It disgusted him.

A moan transformed into a hacking cough in his throat, pushing what little bile remained in his stomach out into the bath water.

"Cloud! Oh man. You can't throw up if there's nothing in there. Lemme find you some water that isn't full of soap and junk."

He felt a cup pressed to his lips and tried to push it away. "No..."

"You gotta drink something."

Cloud shook his head. The action just brought with it another wave of nausea. "Don't... help... I'm..."

"You're my friend. As such, I gotta tell you that you reek. So unless you're a whole lot more awake than I think you are, you're gonna have to just let me clean you up." Suddenly, Zack grinned. "Unless you'd rather Tifa did that."

Cloud's head jerked back, eyes wide and suddenly very aware of his circumstances. He hid his sensitive parts behind his hands as he made sure that Tifa was not actually present.

All he saw were whitewashed walls and Zack grinning over him.

"Zack..."

"Sorry... _chuckle_ It just seemed like a good way to wake you up."

Cloud curled in on himself. He couldn't stand to look at Zack. How could he be so cheerful after what happened?

The cup of water appeared in front of him again. Knowing Zack wouldn't back off with this, he took it. His throat thanked him.

"Man. When was the last time you had anything to drink?" Zack took the empty cup and started pumping more water into it.

"Don't remember." Cloud started to stand up. "I have to go."

Zack shoved Cloud back down. "Unless you're talking about the toilet, you aren't going anywhere. At least not until you explain why."

How? Trying to put it into words sounded so silly. And yet, he did end up hurting his friends.

"Yuffie's cousin read my fortune. She said I was under a curse."

Zack set the now full cup at the edge of the tub. "Seriously? And you couldn't tell us about it?"

Cloud shook his head. "I thought... I had to deal with it on my own."

"I guess I understand." Zack leaned forward. "But remember that there are people here who care about you. If there's something you have to do on your own, that's fine, but at least let us know so we don't worry, okay?"

Guilt bowed Cloud's shoulders even further. His head dipped until his bangs were dragging in the water.

A heavy object collided with the back of his skull, throwing his face into the soapy water. Cloud gasped as that same object, apparently Zack's hand, yanked him back into open air.

"Wha... why..."

Zack grinned. "You looked like you were trying to wash your face. Very slowly. So, you think you can finish the bath by yourself?"

Cloud tried to push his hair out of his eyes and nod at the same time. It sort of worked.

"Great!" Zack stood and stretched. "My legs are about to fall asleep. Holler when you're done. I think Mom's got some of my old clothes for you until your clothes get washed."

Once outside, Zack took a look at his shirt. His thoroughly soaked shirt. "Ah man." The moment he started to wring it out his mom appeared in front of him to slap his hands.

"Zack! What have I said about treating clothes that way? Especially knits."

"Mo-om." The slap didn't hurt in the slightest, but he made a show of shaking his hands out. "Anyway, Cloud's awake now, so I thought I'd grab some clothes for him."

"And he'll be all right by himself?"

"Sure. Why not?"

Minny could only answer with a sigh and a shake of her head. "Hand over your shirt. Might as well get that washed while I'm at it."

Zack shrugged out of his suspenders and pulled off the dripping turtleneck. Before he could lower his arms, Minny poked him in the ribs where she knew he was the most ticklish.

"Hey! hehe Mom! hahaha Ow! ha Cut it out!"

Minny's eyes crinkled mischievously as she retrieved the dropped shirt. "Oh, you aren't going to deny your mother a little tickling, are you? You may have grown into a strong young man, but you're still my little boy." She was halfway back to the house when she glanced over her shoulder. "And get some sleep tonight! You look exhausted!"

Exhausted, huh? Zack leaned against the red brick of the bath house. When was the last time he'd had a truly restful night's sleep?

Probably before they had to flee Midgar.

*7*7*

The scene that greeted Minny as she entered her own kitchen was one of unrecognizable chaos. Flour covered every surface, including the ceiling. Milk, batter, and various other semi-liquids pooled on the floor and tables. And the most likely culprit ran in circles, knocking down even more foods and utensils in an attempt to keep a large bowl out of the reach of an egg-soaked mechanical moogle.

In the center of all this sat Cait Sith, looking distraught as he tried to clean some foreign substance out of his fur.

"What in Titan's name happened here?"

Yuffie spun on her heel, or tried to since she actually ended up falling on her butt. "Ow! I'm making breakfast! Everyone's busy moping and I need to eat!"

Minny sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Just... stay there. Don't touch anything. Any of you."

She hurried upstairs to get the clothes. Once she made sure Yuffie and Cait were behaving, she entered the main room of the house to check on the other two guests. Tifa and Aerith sat on the couch looking rather down.

"Aerith, dear." Minny motioned for her to come closer. "I need to deal with a situation in the kitchen, so could you take these out to the boys?"

"Of course. No problem."

As soon as Aerith left, Minny motioned for Tifa to come into the kitchen. "I think this may take a few extra hands."

*7*7*

The bathwater turned brown as Cloud finished scrubbing the filth off his skin. He searched under the water until he found a large rubber plug. As the water drained away, refuse stuck to the sides of the tub.

Cloud pumped more water into the tub so he could clean up the mess he left behind.

"What am I supposed to do now?"

_Fight._

"Fight what?" He couldn't summon the energy to be worried about having a conversation with a voice in his head. Maybe he should have, but the voice seemed familiar and certainly less threatening than the other presence in his mind.

The voice didn't answer.

*7*7*

"An' wha's wi' everyone tip-toein' 'round Cloud?" Barret scowled out the window of the Tiny Bronco. "He scares everyone by disappearin' an' then shows up workin' fer the bad guy! I'da done more'n jes punch him."

"Ya wanna swim back? The door's right there." Cid thumbed behind him. "Otherwise quit yer ^&*%."

"I'm jes sayin'..."

"I know what yer sayin'! And it's makin' ya sound like an idjit! Jes be happy that Cait dealt with the Turk fer us."

Barret fummed but otherwise did as he was told. He would have rather dealt with the Turk by filling him full of holes, not arranging for medical transport. And that still didn't deal with his concern about Cloud.

Even though the plane-turned-boat was now quiet, Cid still felt like biting someone's head off. He glanced to his right and saw the perfect target.

"Eyes up! If ye're gonna sit in the co-pilot's seat then ya gotta act like a co-pilot!"

Kunsel didn't take his eyes off his phone. "And what would that be?"

"Watchin' out for anythin' that might try to &*^#$ with us! Not playin' with yer damn phone!"

"I'm not playing. I'm going through the pictures I took in the temple. There might be a clue to what Sephiroth is planning in here."

That broke Cid out of his fury. "Ya mean besides that 'wound the planet' thing Zack mentioned?"

Kunsel nodded. "Like how exactly he plans to wound the planet." He held up the phone so Cid could see the picture on the screen. "What does that look like to you?"

"Like that one guy's about to get beaned by a big hunk of rock." Cid's frown deepened. "Kinda looks like someone cast comet."

"Think bigger." Kunsel clicked to the next picture.

"&*^%^ hell."

* * *

_Okay, so I didn't get to some of the things I had planned to in this chapter. And I kinda cut it close in terms of finishing it. But it's here! And there's plot movement! Kinda! ..._

_Well, Cloud's awake and moody as ever, and Kunsel has made a disturbing discovery. That's progress, right? Oh! And Zack's parents are back! I said I'd find a way to bring them back and I did! Well, his mom, anyway. His dad'll show up eventually._


	65. Fight Or Flight

**Chapter Sixty-Four - Fight Or Flight**

By the time Aerith came in sight of the bath house Zack was well into a set of squats. She stopped for a moment to watch. After all, it was only the second time she'd seen him with his shirt off. Though she was a little disappointed that his belt covered his abs.

Zack looked up and grinned. "Enjoying the view?"

"Hmm. Maybe." She slid in next to him as she handed over the bundle of clothes. "I was just thinking how I hardly ever see you sitting still."

"Yeah. I never was very good at that. So, this is it? Uh..." Zack held up both shirts in the pile. "These are both Dad's shirts." After a moment he shrugged and pulled one of them on.

Aerith fiddled with the remaining clothes until Zack finished. "Zack? There's something I need to do. It's something only I can do and... I don't think you should come with me."

"What? Why?"

She hardly dared look at him. "Cloud needs you right now."

"He's awake. He can come with. We all can." Zack held her shoulders so she faced him, but she still didn't lift her head.

"That's just the thing. He can't. I..." She finally looked up. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. "I'm worried. About Sephiroth taking control of him again. About what that might do to his mind." She leaned her forehead against Zack's chest. "I don't want to, but I think I have to go alone. It might be our best chance for stopping Sephiroth."

"That's why you _can't_ go alone!" Zack stepped back and tilted Aerith's head up. "Sephiroth would kill you!"

"If he found me. A large group would be easy to spot. And..." She pulled away, somehow finding the ground at her feet fascinating. "He can control Cloud, so he knows where Cloud is, doesn't he."

Zack deflated. "Yeah."

They stood there, not sure what to say, until Zack straightened his shoulders.

"At least take Barret with you. And Cid. And, well, everyone we know doesn't have Jenova cells in them."

"Zack..."

"No arguments!" Zack set his fists on his hips. "I'm not losing you."

Aerith managed a small smile. "You won't."

*7*7*

Cloud stood frozen, his hand still hovering just short of the door. He hadn't meant to listen.

He wished he hadn't.

_Weak. Pathetic. Worthless._

_Fight it!_

He stumbled back as if struck.

_Burden. Cursed. Failure._

_Better off dead._

"No."

He wanted to disappear. He didn't want to _die_. Something inside him dug long, sharp claws into his mind. He had to _live_.

_Fight._

_They're better off without you._

_Fight!_

*7*7*

Aerith cocked her head. "Are there wolves around here?"

"It's probably a dog or..." Zack jumped. "It's coming from inside!"

Zack burst through the door. Aerith almost followed him before realizing that Cloud was still naked. At least the strange howling had stopped.

Zack couldn't see anything in the bath house other than Cloud. He looked terrified, though. Curled up in a fetal position and trembling.

"Cloud? You okay?" Zack reached out a hand.

Cloud flinched. "Don't..."

*7*7*

_Don't help me._

_I'm not worth it._

_I don't understand why you even try._

_All I ever do is fail and let people down._

_Like Mom. She was the same way. Always doing so much for me. Sacrificing._

_Even when I came home a failure, she smiled and said it was all right._

_And then I let her die._

_I couldn't save her. Even though she was right there, calling my name._

_Begging me to save myself._

_"Why?"_

_"Why what?"_

_"... Aerith?"_

_"Mm-hmm. Are you giving up?"_

_"Maybe I should."_

_"Is that what you want?"_

_"... Why do you care?"_

_"Because you're Cloud. A friend."_

_"I hurt you."_

_"No. That was your body. You fought Sephiroth's control."_

_"I was too late."_

_"Remember what I told you in the garden?"_

_"Huh?"_

_"'You only fail if you give up.' If you give up now, what do you think will happen to your body?"_

_Sephiroth would take complete control._

_"I can't..."_

_Fight!_

* * *

_Short chapter, yes, I know. I wasn't able to quite finish as much as I would have liked, mostly because of a nasty cold rendering my brain all but inoperable. Might also explain why this is one of the trippier chapters I've written..._


	66. Respite

**Chapter Sixty-Five - Respite**

"What did you do? Ow. You know, it's really hard to get clothes on someone who won't. Sit. Still! Ah-ha!" Zack allowed himself a fist pump for managing to get Cloud's arm through the sleeve. The right one, this time.

Aerith knelt by the door with her hands folded as if in prayer. She didn't respond to Zack, though she frowned as Cloud's struggles increased.

Finally, Cloud settled down into what looked like normal sleep. Aerith opened her eyes and sighed.

Zack wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You okay?"

She nodded. "It's just that his mind is such a sad place. And... I don't know. I've never done this before, but it seemed like there was more than one of him."

"Sephiroth?" Zack frowned at the thought of Aerith having to fight him, even in someone's head.

"No." Aerith turned and ran a hand over Cloud's hair. "It felt more like looking at his reflection in a broken mirror."

"That... doesn't sound good."

A moment later, Cloud groaned and pushed himself up onto his elbows. He blinked a few times before realizing that Aerith was sitting almost in front of him. With a yelp, his hands shot down to the space between his legs. And his head crashed back to the floor.

Aerith covered her giggles ineffectively behind her hand. Zack doubled over trying not to laugh.

Cloud looked down his body. "When did I get dressed?"

"I got the clothes on you while you were sleeping. So, feel better?"

"Um. I guess so."

"Great, 'cause I, ah..." Zack looked away and scratched the back of his head. "I have to apologize."

Cloud frowned. "For what?"

"For... breaking your sword."

"You broke... my sword?"

Aerith started giggling again. Cloud sounded so much like a confused little boy.

"Not on purpose!" Zack held his hands up in unnecessary self-defense. "It happened when you were being controlled. I blocked and your sword snapped."

"Oh."

Zack leaned forward. "You're okay with that?"

"It's just a sword." Cloud shrugged. "I'll get a new one."

"Well, yeah. It just might take a while to find one that won't break right away."

Cloud's eyes fell to his hands. Without a sword, how was he supposed to fight? How would he prove he wasn't a burden?

Suddenly, Zack dropped his fist into his open palm. "I know! Come with me!" He dragged Cloud outside before grabbing the Buster Sword from where he'd leaned it against the wall.

"Here." Zack presented Cloud with the hilt. "But remember, it's not just a sword. It represents dreams and honor, so I expect you to take care of it."

Cloud stepped back. "I can't."

"Sure you can. It's only until we find you a proper sword, anyway."

But something of such weight... Cloud didn't feel worthy of it even as a loan. "What about you?"

Zack raised his left fist. "I've got a lot more martial arts training than you do. I'll be fine."

No use arguing, Zack would never back down. Cloud grasped the hilt. And nearly dropped it when Zack released his hold.

"It's... heavy."

"You get used to it. Let's get you something to eat and then you can try some practice swings."

"Ah." Aerith cut in at this point. "You may have to wait a while for food."

Zack cocked his head. "Huh? Why?"

"Yuffie."

*7*7*

Tifa jumped up from scrubbing the floor when Aerith returned. "How's Cloud? Is he awake?"

"He's awake." Aerith smiled. "He and Zack are training out back if you want to take a look."

Tifa glanced back at Mrs. Fair trying to get Yuffie to clean and stepped over to the window. She hoped she wasn't blushing too noticeably.

A few yards away from the window, Cloud practiced swinging the Buster Sword. His muscles strained from the unaccustomed weight. Strictly vertical slices were hard enough, then Zack had him go through more complicated forms. He nearly fell on his face after a horizontal swing.

Zack helped him up. "You might want to widen your stance."

"But you don't."

"I'm taller." Zack shrugged. "And you aren't used to the weight yet. Just focus on keeping your balance."

Cloud nodded and spread his feet apart. He flexed his arms and stepped into the swing. Again and again. He focused on making his body do what he wanted it to. He ignored the weight and pushed himself to move faster. To swing harder.

"Woah! Easy!" Zack pulled Cloud back. "I don't think it'd be a good idea to set off a limit break in my folks' backyard."

"Oh." The Buster Sword fell from Cloud's hands as fatigue caught up with him.

Zack lead him to the back door. "Come on. We'll get you something to eat even if the kitchen is still a mess."

Tifa almost fell over herself trying to get away from the door. She grabbed a towel and wiped a random spot on the floor. Aerith's giggling set her blush rising higher on her face.

"Stop moaning and scrub! The sooner it's done, the sooner you can be out of my kitchen." Minny glanced up when the door opened. "Aerith, do you mind keeping an eye on Yuffie for a minute? Cloud, so good to see you awake! Would you like something to eat?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Minny took out a plate of honey buns and handed it to Cloud. "You and Zack can enjoy those outside."

Cloud stared wide-eyed at the plate, then Minny, then the ruined kitchen. "Are you sure you don't need help here?"

"It's fine, it's fine! Leave us women to our domain."

Zack laughed. "You heard her! The sooner we go, the sooner she can fix up a real meal. Maybe some moussaka?"

Minny sniffed. "You'll eat whatever I make when I make it. Now shoo."

As soon as the boys left, Minny turned to Tifa. "Dear, I think that spot would get clean faster if you wet your towel."

Tifa wondered if it was possible to die from embarrassment.

*7*7*

Kunsel and the rest arrived just in time for lunch. In fact, they walked in just a couple minutes before Mr. Fair returned, tired and cranky.

So he took one look at the horde occupying his house and groaned. "Minny! When did we open an inn?"

Minny opened the door from the kitchen with her foot. "When Zack started traveling with so many friends. Now take off your boots before you track mud all over my floor." She set a huge casserole dish on the dining table. "Any luck finding that goat?"

"Yeah. All bad. It's probably headed into the hills over the reactor." He sank into his seat at the table. "I'd still be out there looking, but I'm not as young as I used to be. _oooooog_ No, no, don't mind me. Just parts of my body staging a protest. Nothing to be concerned about."

"Glad to hear it." Minny started passing out plates. "You'll have to serve yourselves for now. I've still got some things to take care of in the kitchen. Oh, Cloud dear, would you follow me?"

Kunsel took the spot behind Zack in line for the food. Some sort of beef dish topped with noodles and bread. "Looks like your mom's adopted Cloud."

"Yeah. She's like that. Whenever I'd drag home some weird animal she'd have the hardest time telling me to put it back where I found it. If it was hurt, she usually managed to talk Dad into letting us keep it until it was healed."

"Huh. So... how is he?"

Zack shrugged. "Okay, I guess. Or as okay as can be expected."

"And Aerith?"

Zack turned to frown at Kunsel. "Why do you ask?"

"She was acting odd at the temple. And Cloud did hit her."

"Yeah. Well, she's fine. We're going to have a meeting after lunch."

Kunsel raised an eyebrow. He wasn't sure how that followed, but he supposed he'd figure it out at the meeting. "Good. I have some things to show everyone."

"I'm guessing it isn't good news. Come on, you've gotta try Mom's moussaka."

* * *

_Okay, not all that much plot movement here. A little character development and transitioning. And a look at what was going on while Cloud and Aerith were, uh, 'talking.'_


	67. Until Tomorrow

**Chapter Sixty-Six - Until Tomorrow**

Cloud watched everyone eat. The moussaka looked so good, and smelled even better. Still, he understood why Mrs. Fair gave him chicken soup.

_"I don't know what all happened, but chicken soup is the best thing for someone who's been sick."_

She'd made a whole pot just for him. Whether he refused or accepted, he'd feel guilty for putting her to so much trouble.

"Cloud?" Tifa knelt in front of him. "Are you okay?"

He nodded, scooping up another spoonful of soup.

Tifa stared at the floor for a moment. "I wanted to apologize for punching you earlier."

"Huh?" Cloud had to take a few seconds to remember what she meant. "Oh. It's fine. If you hadn't done that I might have..." Guilt over what could have happened closed his throat. He had to cough to clear it. "I'm just glad you're safe."

"And I'm glad you're awake. When you collapsed like that I thought..." Tifa stood up. "I should help Mrs. Fair."

Cait hopped past Tifa as she escaped into the kitchen. "Ah, Cloud, there ye are. We're gonna start a meetin' in a few minutes. What're ye doin' hidin' in a corner like that?"

"Eating."

Cait huffed. Rather interesting from something with no lungs, or functioning nose. "I can see that. I mean... oh, never mind. I think we're startin' as soon as the girls get back from the kitchen."

Cloud gave a short nod before drinking the rest of the broth. As Cait said, when the girls came back Zack called everyone to attention.

"It sounds like there's a lot to talk about, so who wants to go first?"

Barret stood up. "I wanna know how ya plan to keep Spiky from turnin' on us again."

Cloud sank further into his corner. He almost missed the glare half the team threw at Barret.

Zack in particular looked like he was about to turn violent. "That wasn't him."

"Huh. Sure looked like him."

"It's called 'mind control,' you-"

"Zack! Barret!" Aerith stepped between them. "This isn't the time!"

Cid chuckled. "Let 'em fight. Barret's been goin' on all mornin' about knockin' sense inta people. Seems to me it's about time he got a taste o' his own medicine."

"You sayin' I don't got sense?"

"Damn straight."

"Please..."

The sound of shifting cloth as Cloud stood brought the argument to a halt. "I'm leaving."

Zack reached out to stop him. "Hang on, Cloud."

"No. Barret's right. I can't be trusted."

"So stay where we can keep an eye on you." Kunsel shrugged when everyone looked at him. "As long as Sephiroth can control him, he's a liability, but he's more of a liability on his own."

Zack shook his head. "I don't think that's the best way to look at it."

"Maybe. I just can't think of anything right now. How about we get back to the meeting."

"Right." Zack led Cloud by the shoulder to an open chair. "Kunsel, didn't you say you found something?"

Kunsel opened his phone and clicked through to the photo gallery. "I'm not sure about details, but I think this mural from the temple describes what the Black Materia does." He handed the phone to Aerith. "Maybe you can translate?"

"It's awfully small."

"That button lets you zoom in. You can scroll with the arrow keys there. And you skip to the next picture like this."

"Oh, I see." She went through the sequence once before zooming in on the writing on the first picture. "It looks a bit like it's describing how the Black Materia was made."

"Made?" Kunsel sat up straight. "So the Ancients made it?"

"So it seems. I'm not familiar with this particular script. This is 'black' but the next word seems to be 'wing.' Part of the next phrase seems to be 'by Cetra hands.'" Aerith tucked a finger under her chin as she scrolled through the rest of the image. "This next part sounds like the temple and the materia were two different things at first. No. The materia was formed from the temple? They believed it to be a gift meant to end a great war. I can't quite make out the next part. A warning? 'Affliction of Heaven?' The survivors returned the materia to the temple and locked themselves inside. This last..."

Aerith closed the phone, her head bowed. "They thought they had killed the planet."

The room fell silent until Nanaki softly asked, "How?"

Kunsel answered in Aerith's place. "The mural showed something similar to the comet spell, only a lot bigger. Though scale is kind of hard to tell."

"Meteor." Aerith's voice barely reached above a murmur. "It finds small drifting planets with its magic. And then pulls them in."

"_Planets_?" Yuffie rocked back on her chair so far she nearly tipped over. "Like as big as ours?"

Kunsel shook his head. "She probably means something along the lines of an asteroid. Though either one would be bad."

Cid tapped ash off his cigarette. "So we're gonna get our asses kicked by an asteroid. Anyone gotta way to %&$ stop it?"

Aerith and Zack shared a look before Zack cleared his throat.

"Yeah, but Aerith's the only one who can do it."

Most of the people in the room reacted with "Huh?" Yuffie took it one step further with an actual question.

"Why's that?"

Vincent crossed his arms. "Because she's an ancient."

Zack nodded.

"We di'n' come all this way ta do nothin'!" Barret slammed his gun-arm into the table. "$%* Don't see right for everythin' ta hang on one little lady."

Cid leaned forward. "For once I'm with Barret. There's gotta be somethin' we can do, too."

"Yeah. You're going to protect Aerith." Zack pointed to Cid, Barret, and Yuffie.

"Huh? Just us? I mean, it's not like I need any help or anything, but isn't Sephiroth supposed to be this uber strong SOLDIER or something?"

Kunsel furrowed his brows in thought. "You're picking the people you know don't have Jenova cells in them. Or ties to ShinRa." He glanced at Cait.

"Then what about me?" Tifa stood up. "I don't have Jenova cells."

Zack scratched the back of his head. "Uh, well, you were in the reactor with Jenova and..."

"What? I could have ended up with her cells just from being there?"

"I don't know! Look, I'm just being careful. We don't want Sephiroth to know where Aerith is going."

Cid nodded. "So we're there more to protect her from regular monsters. And what're the rest o' ya gonna do? Create a diversion?"

"Something like that."

"Heh. No plan, huh?" Cid grinned as he took a long drag. "Sounds good to me. When do we head out?"

Zack stared at Aerith, torn between wanting her around just a little longer and knowing they had to move quickly. "As soon as everyone's ready."

*7*7*

As the buggy disappeared behind a bend in the road, Dan set a hand on Zack's shoulder. "You're doing the right thing. Granted, I don't know most of the details, but I know you and I know you always try to do what's right."

"I've been gone for ten years. How can you be so sure?"

"Because other wise you wouldn't be worrying like this. And I'd beat the tar outta you if you turned out any different." Dan shook Zack's shoulder. "Come on. I've got some chores I'd like you to do before you disappear again."

Zack groaned.

*7*7*

Kunsel finished packing both of his duffel bags. Since he insisted on keeping the books from Nibelheim, the others decided it was only fair that he carry them. He glanced up as Zack entered through the kitchen. "Have fun with your dad?"

"I think he missed his calling. The drill sergeants at boot camp have nothing on him."

"Huh." Kunsel stared past the ceiling as if remembering something. "That explains a lot. So, decided where we're going to go?"

Zack slumped onto the couch. "Not exactly. Aerith said that Sephiroth would need a place with a large concentration of Lifestream in order to use the Black Materia. Something on the level of what ShinRa thinks the Promised Land is. Reactors and excavation sites might be a good start, but there are so many!"

Kunsel thought for a few seconds before responding. "What about the Northern Continent?"

"What about it?"

"You had missions up there!" Kunsel resisted the urge to knock Zack on the head. Chances were it'd hurt him more than Zack. "Do you do any research on the places you were sent to?"

"Hey! Half the time no one told me where I was being sent until I got there!"

"Right. Anyway, ShinRa had lots of plans for reactors and the like up there. They had to abandon most of them because the weather's so bad. It gets worse as you go further north, but apparently the readings for near-surface mako increase, too."

"And Sephiroth wouldn't care about storms." Zack nodded. "So we're going north!"

*7*7*

The next couple of days were filled mostly with moving and training. Cloud in particular practiced with the Buster Sword to the point where everyone else all but begged Tifa to give him some martial arts training so they could take a break.

"You're reaching too much. All your attacks have to start at your core. Everything flows from here so you remain balanced."

"Right." Cloud shifted his stance and tried again.

"Good! Now, if you're blocked there's probably another spot that's open. If you can't see it or reach it from where you are, jump back."

"Because my opponent will also be looking for an opening."

Tifa shook her head. "He'll probably already know where it is. The moment an attack is blocked you're off balance so a counter attack at that moment is almost certain to hit."

"So it's important to be faster than your opponent." Cloud punched air followed by a side kick.

"Yes. The strongest fighter isn't much good if he isn't fast enough to land a hit."

Cloud slowed. "Strength without determination and determination without strength."

"Hmm? What's that?"

"Nothing. Just remembering something Yuffie's father said."

"Oh. Well, be sure not to get distracted during a fight." She really had to have Cloud spar with someone. Knowing what he was supposed to do meant nothing without actual experience. But she couldn't ask the others. The whole point was to give them a break. Well, there was Nanaki, but Tifa didn't think Cloud was ready for a non-human opponent.

"Tifa?"

She shook her head. "What was I saying about getting distracted?" She managed to force out a small laugh. "I was just thinking that... maybe this would be easier to take in if we sparred a little."

Cloud frowned. "Are you sure?"

No. Not really. "Of course! I can take care of myself."

Still, Cloud remained hesitant as he blocked her first punch. He completely missed her knee until it hit him in the ribs.

"You didn't counter."

"Sorry."

"It's all right. We'll try again."

This time Tifa started with a low sweeping kick. Cloud jumped over it and blocked the punch that came after. He blocked her second punch. And her third.

"Cloud, you aren't fighting back."

"I know." He crossed his arms over his head to block a falling kick.

"You're supposed to be learning to combine attack and defense."

One jab connected with his jaw. He stumbled back a step before dropping his guard completely.

"I don't want to hurt you, Tifa."

She nodded, shoulders slumped. "I know. It's possible to get hurt when sparring. It happens all the time. But you can't learn if you're always afraid."

"Maybe this was a bad idea." Cloud walked past her to where he'd left Zack's sword.

Tifa turned to stop him. "Cloud, I..." What was she supposed to say? That she trusted him? That she was afraid, too? The first would only be half true and the second might drive him further away. "I know you'd never intentionally hurt me."

He didn't even look back at her.

* * *

_And that's it! Well, for this chapter. Not the whole story. Obviously. I mean, I could end it here, but that would just be mean. I'm not mean. A little cruel at times, but not mean. Ah. I kinda wish I could have gotten more actual plot development in here. Sure, there's a course set and some thematic development, but they haven't really moved very far. Part of it is because I don't know how long I should delay that pivotal scene. Well, not delay so much as build up to. I can't just drop them straight into the Forgotten City, after all. If nothing else, I have to figure out how to get them there._


	68. Double Agent

**Chapter Sixty-Seven - Double Agent**

Kunsel closed the notebook he'd been making notes in. "Do you have something you want to say? Or are you just going to stand there being creepy?"

Vincent took a single step from the shadow he'd been concealed in. "You remind me of someone. I am simply trying to determine who."

"Huh." Kunsel looked up at the sky for a moment. "You were a Turk thirty years ago, right? Then you probably knew my old man."

"A Turk... Hmmm."

"Yeah. Oh. When we first met, you mentioned a name. Lucrecia, right?" Kunsel reached into one of his duffel bags and pulled out a mottled notebook. "Here."

Vincent's eyes narrowed as he accepted the book. "You had many opportunities to give this to me. Why now?"

"I wanted to finish taking notes from it first."

Vincent nodded once and turned to set the notebook aside. "ShinRa will eventually come for us in full force. We should prepare for that."

"Yeah, but how? There's not much we can do besides keep our eyes open."

"I would think you'd be familiar with the tactics they'd likely use."

Kunsel snorted. "What tactics? Heidegger controls the infantry, Turks, _and_ SOLDIER. The only tactic he knows is 'blow crap up.'"

"I remember him." Vincent's eyes narrowed, the only visible sign that the memory wasn't pleasant. "He's an idiot."

"A violent idiot, though he takes most of his frustration out on the infantry. He prefers using machines to fight, too. Rumor is that he and Scarlet have a thing going besides business."

"Scarlet?"

"Director of research and development. She has a tendency to develop things that malfunction frequently and attack everything that moves. Including allies and civilians. The biggest threat from both of them is that they have no regard for the lives of their subordinates."

"Suicide missions."

Kunsel nodded. "Sometimes it's better to be killed by the enemy that to come back alive. Anyone with half a brain knows it, so we'll be facing scared, desperate men."

"And Scarlet's unstable machines."

"And SOLDIER." Kunsel sighed. "You probably don't know much about that program."

"Only that it is an attempt to create a fighting force using mako and Jenova cells."

"Yeah. It used to be... Well, you've seen Zack fight. Don't expect any of the SOLDIERs we might face to be that good."

In an unusual show of emotion, Vincent raised an eyebrow. Kunsel took this as a minor victory.

"Zack's unique to begin with, so he's probably a bad example. The point is that SOLDIER is still a threat, but not as big a threat as it would have been five years ago. I'm not sure what's happening besides there being fewer willing recruits. There's a rumor that SOLDIER is going to get merged with a different department." Kunsel chuckled. "Of course, there's also a rumor that there's an underground lab trying to mass produce remote... control... SOLDIERs. Damn."

"It would seem that one was more than just a rumor."

"Wow. You do have a sense of humor. So, as a Turk, how would you have us prepare?"

Silence fell for almost a full minute before Vincent responded.

"Talk to Cait Sith."

*7*7*

Sunlight fell in patches under the tree where Nanaki lay. As he finished off his meal, Cait hopped over, stretching his arms over his head as if getting kinks out of his joints.

"Ah, there are days I wish I had a stomach. Tifa makes everythin' look so marvelously delicious." Cait curled up against Nanaki's side.

Only for a moment. Nanaki stood up and moved to the other side of the tree.

"Hey! What was that about?"

"I do not wish to be a pillow for a traitor."

"A traitor? How could ye... Ah, yes, ye mean the previous Cait Sith. Regrettable turn of events. Regrettable. But that wasn't me. So can't we start over?"

Nanaki huffed. "No."

Cait's ears drooped. "Ye know I don't like doin' that sorta thin'. If I had my way, we'd all jes' get along. Isn't there anythin' I could do ta earn yer trust?"

"I doubt it."

Cait curled up on himself. He stared at the ground as a shadow extended over him.

"Perhaps there's a way to start earning trust."

On of Cait's ears swiveled toward Vincent. "That's not somethin' I'd expect ta hear from ye."

Kunsel stepped up as well. "We mostly want to know why you're here. Doesn't ShinRa know your cover's blown?"

Cait perked up so one could hardly tell he'd ever been down. "Ah, now there's the beauty of it! ShinRa doesn't know about me at all! Oh, Rufus knows there's a spy, but no details. Gya-ha-ha and Kya-ha-ha don't even know that."

It took a moment for Kunsel to figure out who Cait meant. "Hiedegger and Scarlet?"

"That's right! Can't trust sensitive information like this to those two, nope! The only ones who know who I am are the Turks."

Vincent nodded once. "That still leaves the question of why you are still here."

"I've only been here a couple days." Cait waved down any coming objection. "I know, I know. Ye mean the previous one and me. Well, it's quite simple. I like all o' ye. And my controller feels a bit o' responsibility for how thin's turned out at the temple. I would like to make it up to ye."

Kunsel and Vincent glanced at each other. Kunsel spoke.

"How would you feel about giving us information on what ShinRa is doing?"

"Hmm. That might be tough." Cait scratched his chin. "See, my controller isn't traveling with Rufus. There's not much he could say that'd be any help. And my main contact with the Turks is outta commission. I can tell ye that the higher ups aren't happy. Losin' the Black Materia and all that, ye know."

"Then you are of no use to us." Vincent turned to leave, his cape billowing behind him.

"Ah! Hang on! I can be o' use! Jes' lemme think." Cait hopped from one foot to the other like he had to use the toilet. "Right! I remember! ShinRa doesn't know Sephiroth has the Black Materia! Tseng's last communication with them was jes' to warn the other Turks to leave in a hurry."

Kunsel frowned. "But didn't you call ShinRa to pick Tseng up?"

"No. I called... some other friends. Figured it'd be safer for him that way."

"Riiight. So ShinRa thinks we have it?"

Cait shrugged. "They aren't sure. Or so I gather."

A growl reminded them of Nanaki's presence. "How can we be sure he isn't lying?"

"We can't." Kunsel stared Cait down. "But it isn't really something worth lying about, either."

"Aye. Aye. I'm not much help right now, 'tis true. Maybe somethin' will come up later, though. And if Rufus ever gets back to Midgar then I'll definitely be helpful."

Kunsel considered it for a minute before turning to Vincent. "What do you think?"

"He may prove useful. Eventually."

Cait shuffled over to his moogle and hid under one of its over-sized hands. "Ah... Why do I have the feelin' that's goin' to be a bad thin'?"

Kunsel might have been imagining it, but the right corner of Vincent's mouth twitched up a fraction of an inch.

* * *

_Yes, it's a short chapter. Yes, Zack and Cloud aren't in this one. I just really wanted to get these scenes out and it turned out to be a lot harder to write them than I thought. Hopefully I can get the plot moving again next week. (Well, it's moving now, just not very fast.)_


	69. Overlap

**Chapter Sixty-Eight - Overlap**

Light filled the sky and reflected off the water. It hurt to look at, but Aerith couldn't pull her eyes away from the window of the Tiny Bronco. Not that she had much of a choice. Sitting in the co-pilot's seat, her other options were to stare at the floor or try to sit backwards. She doubted that Cid would appreciate either.

Of course, she could close her eyes, but that all over red glow through her lids hurt almost worse than the unfiltered light.

Cid had his goggles set over his eyes. He'd abandoned his smokes in a small storage compartment when Aerith started coughing and was now tapping his fingers nervously on the yoke. So it was somewhat understandable that he failed to notice her discomfort until that moment.

"Ah hell. I'd offer ya a set of goggles, but I ain't got a spare."

"That's all right. You're the one who needs to see."

"Co-pilots gotta see too, ya know!" Cid checked the instrument panel. How he could get any information from all those dials and screens was beyond Aerith. "We're about three hours out of Bone Village Port, God and weather permittin'. Any idea where we're heading from there?"

Aerith shook her head. "Just a feeling. Once we arrive the way should open."

"More o' that mystical &*^$. Nothin' against you, but I'd rather trust technology than magic."

Barret spat from the back seat. "Technology's what's wrong wi' the world! Ev'ryone runnin' round doin' wha'ever they damn well please an' not thinkin' of the consequences."

"Hey! That sounds like us!" Yuffie ducked a slap a little too fast for her stomach.

"Hate to say it, but the squirt's got a point. Ya wanna get back at ShinRa for hurting the planet, fine. But then what? Ya expect everyone ta give up mako and go back ta coal? People have gotten used ta havin' things easy. They won't like havin' ta work so hard."

Barret huffed. "Hard work's good fer people."

"Yeah, but what about the people who can't do a lotta that &^%$. An' I'm not talkin' 'bout those pansy-ass bureaucrats at ShinRa. I'm talkin' 'bout the ^%*&^^ they boss around. Their arms'd come off 'fore they could lift a bag o' coal."

"It's not like we wouldn't need desk jockies anymore."

"And who'd hire them? ShinRa runs the whole damn world!"

"That's enough, please!" Aerith twisted around so she could look from Cid to Barret. "There's a lot to think about, yes, but we can't plan for everything. Let's just focus on one disaster at a time."

The two men grumbled a bit, but eventually settled down. The next three hours were like that. Silence interrupted by arguments. The longer Cid went without his smokes, the more likely it was that he'd be the one to start.

So Yuffie wasn't the only one relieved when they finally arrived at the dock.

A sleeping looking fellow popped his head out the window of a shack on the land end of the dock. He blinked at the odd troop exiting the sea plane. "Hey, whatcha doin' here? The camp isn't 'spectin' a shipment fer 'nother two weeks."

"Ain't none o' yer &*$&# business why we're here!" Cid finally had his smokes back, but his mood would take a little while to improve to his usual level of crabby. "Jes' make sure nothin' happen's ta my plane here or ya'll be meetin' the bus'ness end of my spear."

The man pale and retreated back into the shack.

Yuffie laughed but Aerith glared at Cid as they made their way to shore.

"Did you have to scare that man half to death?"

"You wanna tell him what we're here for?"

Aerith didn't have a good answer for that, so she simply looked away. Up ahead stretched a dirt path leading into a conifer forest.

As they reached the forest, Yuffie rubbed her arms. "Anyone else think it's kinda chilly?"

"This close to the glaciers? 'Course it's chilly!" Cid nearly chomped his cigarette in half.

"We're getting close." Aerith bowed her head with her hands folded as if in prayer. "There's a place protected by magic up ahead."

"It better not be like that ^*&% temple."

A few minutes later the forest thinned out to reveal a camp of sorts. There were a couple tents, but most of the shelters were made from tarp and extremely large bones. Parts of what looked like a plane lay in ruins near the path on top of the biggest skull any of them had ever seen. Men dug with shovels and pickaxes or unpacked boxes labeled 'DANGER! EXPLOSIVES!'

Barret looked around. "We're gonna stop Sephiroth with a buncha old bones?"

Aerith shook her head. "No. The place we have to go is still further on." She pointed up past a ledge to where the forest started again. "That way."

"Whoa, now! You aren't thinking of going into the Sleeping Forest, are ya?"

Everyone turned to see a middle aged man in grimy overalls step out from the shelter next to them.

Yuffie cocked her head. "Why's it called the Sleeping Forest?"

"'Cause it's asleep. You go in there now and you'll get confused, maybe never come out."

Cid tapped some ash off the tip of his cigarette. "There a way around it?"

The man shrugged. "It depends on where you're going. There's a road a little ways west of here that leads to Icicle Inn. There's a fork in the road leading to what's left of Modeoheim, but an avalanche blocked it halfway up the mountain last year. No one lives there anymore, so no one's bothered to clear it." He apparently didn't notice Yuffie snorting when he mentioned the avalanche.

"We aren't going that way." Aerith pointed again toward the forest. "We have to go there."

"There's nothing out there but the Forgotten City." The man sighed and shook his head. "Well, if you insist, then you'll have to find a lunar harp. We've been digging them up around here and they're the only way to enter the forest safely."

"They you've got some to spare, right?" Yuffie said.

"No. Everything we find has to be tagged and cataloged. Any missing artifacts would get us in a lot of trouble. Besides, once we get clearance to start researching the Forgotten City we'll need all the ones we have just to get there.

Cid rolled up the sleeves of his jacket. "Guess ya better hand us some shovels, then."

*7*7*

_Water. He could hear water running over rocks. Everything smelled like it had just rained._

_It was so... clean. Peaceful._

_But it wasn't safe. Something dark and poisonous seeped up through the ground._

_He stood on a cliff over a forest of white trees. Darkness filled everything else._

_No, one dot of color moved through the shadows._

_Pink._

_Aerith._

_'Found you.'_

*7*7*

Cloud's eyes snapped open. For a moment he forgot how to move. He gasped for air. Slowly, he started to recognize his surroundings. The dark wood ceiling, the wicker ceiling fan, the smell of sea spray, and the sound of birds mixed with waves.

The inn at Costa Del Sol.

He got up. The room was dark and he could hear the others breathing from their beds. Closing his eyes, he tried to steady his own breathing in time with theirs. It was just a dream. Just a horrible, foreboding dream.

But if it were more than that...

Cloud crept across the room to the bed Zack shared with Kunsel. Behind him, Tifa slept peacefully next to Nanaki. So, careful not to wake anyone else, Cloud poked Zack in the shoulder.

"Hnnn. Sir. Five more minutes. Sir."

"Zack."

"Huh?" Zack blinked and sat up, his eyes the only clear feature of his face in the dark. "Hey, Cloud. What's wrong?"

"I, uh..." How to explain without sounding even more crazy than everyone probably thought he was? "I had a bad dream." He wanted to kick himself for sounding so childish.

To his surprise, Zack didn't tease him, or even smile. "What was it about?"

Cloud stared at the floor. "I'm not sure. There was a forest and Aerith went inside. Then I heard this voice. It... sounded kind of like Sephiroth."

Zack swung his feet around so he was sitting on the edge of the bed. "Have you had dreams like that before?"

"Not... exactly."

When Zack smiled he looked more relieved than teasing. "You're probably worried about Aerith. How about we call her in the morning to see how things are going?"

Cloud looked up. "Are you sure that's a good idea? We aren't supposed to know where she is."

"So we don't ask that." Zack punched Cloud in the shoulder. "She's my girlfriend and I miss her. This is a great excuse for me so don't ruin it."

"Uh, sure." Cloud stood up and shuffled away. "I better get back to sleep. Sorry for disturbing you."

"Cloud."

He stopped.

"Thanks for trusting me."

Cloud's head tilted to one side in confusion. "I've always trusted you."

Zack settled back into bed. "Well, thanks for trusting me more."

*7*7*

Sunlight danced on the waves as the small ferry neared the northern continent. On the deck Zack and Kunsel watched the horizon where the faintest traces of land could be seen. Nearby, Cloud leaned over the railing while Tifa stroked his back. Somewhere below Nanaki and Vincent stayed out of sight. Not many other people had taken the ferry, but neither wanted to deal with the stares. Cait was probably with them, since he wasn't one deck.

Kunsel took his eyes off the horizon to glance at Cloud. "So Cloud had a nightmare, huh?"

Zack blinked. "You were awake?"

"Light sleeper. Sometimes I think I should invest in earplugs."

"Ouch. Do you ever sleep all the way through the night?"

"Not often. But anyway, were you able to get in touch with Aerith?"

Zack nodded. "She said everyone's fine. Well, Yuffie's been driving Cid and Barret up a tree, but that's pretty normal."

"Can you imagine Barret climbing a tree?" Kunsel chuckled. "I would love to see that. It's good that everyone's okay. With the way things have been going, I half expected Cloud's dream to turn out to be prophetic."

"Yeah. I warned her to keep an eye out just in case."

Kunsel nodded, then grimaced as Cloud released what was left of his lunch into the ocean. "You know, if it weren't for the whole 'Jenova radar' thing, I'd have suggested that Cloud stay with your parents to recover."

Zack frowned. "Yeah, he does seem to be having a harder time of it than usual. He'll probably be fine once we're back on land, though."

"Hope so." Kunsel took a deep breath before continuing. "You've had more missions up here than I have. Do you remember any places that seemed unusually active."

Zack stared at the ocean for a moment. "Well, there was this one place that was pretty weird. Machines acting like monsters, dead people getting up and attacking everything, creepy stuff like that. But I was there just a few months ago and got to the bottom of the caves. There were mako crystals, but the source of all the weirdness seemed to be a, I dunno, goddess-summon-thing."

Kunsel's eyes grew larger as Zack explained. "That was _you_? I knew it! Everyone back at ShinRa was going nuts over the news! No one could get near the place because all their machinery would start going berserk. I heard Hojo just about killed Scarlet for giving him faulty research equipment. But what were you doing up there?"

Through this, Zack fidgeted and scratched the back of his head. "Well, it was kind of an accident. I was trying to get to Midgar, but there were so many patrols out looking for us that I just jumped on the first cargo ship I could find." He shrugged. "Ended up here. That cave seemed like the last place ShinRa would look for us, so I thought we could camp out there for a few days."

"And ended up attracting all sorts of attention by killing the source of the anomalies." Kunsel started to shake his head but stopped as if realizing something. "Wait. 'Goddess-summon-thing?'"

Zack spread his hands out to show that he was just as confused as Kunsel. "I don't know what she was! She acted like a summon, kinda, but there wasn't any materia around when I beat her."

Kunsel's nod turned into a sharp bang against the railing. "GAAA! And if she isn't there anymore I can't find out what she was!" Deep breaths. In and out. "Right. Okay. Not relevant to current situation. So... There should be an archeological team at Bone Village. We'll stop there and see if they have any current information on lifestream activity."

"Right. You, uh, gonna be okay?"

"Yeah. Sure. Just cursing the limits of my knowledge, that's all."

Zack laughed. "Maybe when this is all over you can get a job at a university."

"Only if I get to do field work. I'd go nuts having to teach every day."

Before Zack could respond, a recorded announcement instructed all passengers to get ready for docking.

"Finally..." Cloud groaned as he pushed away from the railing and Tifa's attempts to comfort him. Maybe not such a good idea, as the world spun around him and he found himself falling into something hard.

Odd, the deck shouldn't have been that close.

"Hey, easy there. You gonna be okay?" The 'something hard' turned out to be Zack's arm. He helped Cloud get back on his feet and held on until he was sure Cloud wouldn't tip over again.

For his own part, Cloud was careful not to nod in response to the question. "Yeah. I will be, once the ground stops moving."

Zack smiled. Soon, they met up with the rest of the group and headed for land.

* * *

_Plot! Maybe, kinda? Seriously, this is important. Well, aside from Cloud being motion sick, that's kind of a given. Poor guy's still recovering from the mind control incident, too._

_Do you see the problem with not telling each other where you're going? You end up going to the same place! A bit of a stretch, perhaps, but there aren't all that many places on the planet where they haven't already been, so... yeah. And Kunsel gets frustrated again. Poor guy. Kinda makes you wonder why he joined SOLDIER instead of taking an academic career._


	70. Up North

**Chapter Sixty-Nine - Up North  
**

Reno burst into the computer room. "Hey, Professor! Everyone else's ready to leave, what's the hold up?"

"Nothing, nothing." Hojo vibrated in barely contained glee as he finished shutting down the terminal. "Just backing up some vital data. Tell me, where are we going?"

"Junon."

"Ah! Splendid! The labs there aren't ideal, but they will be a vast improvement over the pathetic facilities here."

Reno smirked. "Too bad, 'cause you're not using them. Soon's we arrive we're taking off in the Highwind."

That put a stop to Hojo's good mood. "For what purpose?"

"Guess you'll find out when we get there. Now move it. We don't have all day."

*7*7*

The shopkeeper at the army surplus store tied the last of the packages into a bundle. "Ahright. That's five gallons of water, six thermal blankets, 40 pounds of freeze-dried rations, twenty pairs of wool socks, and five mountaineering hats." He looked down at the items and then at the young man who had ordered them. "You sure you aren't going to need help moving all this?"

"I'm sure." Kunsel grunted as he hefted the load up. "Might help if you get the door for me, though."

Trying not to gape like a fish, the shopkeeper did as he was asked.

Kunsel had taken barely a dozen steps outside before he heard Zack run up to him.

"Hey, Kunsel! I got us a ride to... Whoa! Did you buy out the whole store?"

"No, just most of it. Now what's this about a ride?" Kunsel tried, and failed, to look at Zack around the massive bundle of supplies.

"Oh, right. There's this tour group heading up to Icicle Inn and they hired us to protect them from monsters until Bone Village."

"Just until Bone Village?"

"Yeah. I guess they're joining up with another group there that already has an escort or something. Anyway, they're leaving tomorrow at o-eight-hundred hours."

Kunsel chuckled. "Can you wait that long?" The image of Zack with nothing to do for over twelve hours both amused and terrified him.

"I'll manage. Hey, you need any help with that?"

"No. Really. I can manage. It's barely over a hundred pounds." Kunsel adjusted his grip as the bundle tried to tip away from him. "Okay, it's a little awkward, but I can deal with it."

"I bet. You really think all this stuff is necessary?"

"Most of it's food, so yes. Everything else is so we don't freeze up in the glacier region."

"Oh, yeah. I keep forgetting about that."

A few minutes later they reached the inn. Kunsel took the supplies upstairs to divide them up among the various duffle bags. Zack noticed Tifa sitting alone near a window in the lounge and went over to her.

"I thought you'd be with Cloud."

Tifa didn't look at him, just stared out the window. "He wanted to train. I offered to go with but..."

"He went alone?" Zack almost jumped out of his seat. Normally he'd be fine with it, but after everything that had happened over the last few days the idea of Cloud alone made him worry.

Tifa shook her head. "Vincent followed him. Zack, is he... Do you really think he's going to be all right?"

"Sure he will. Why wouldn't he?"

At that, Tifa glared directly at him. "You know why! Everything that's happened to him. All the..." She choked and looked away, ashamed that someone might see her break down.

Zack sighed, resting his arms on the table between them. "I know. But he's survived so far, we just have to have faith in him."

Tifa nodded silently. She wished Cloud would have that kind of faith in her.

*7*7*

Instead of getting the life crushed out of it by the blunt edge of the Buster Sword, the unfortunate trickplay got fried by a lightning bolt the instant it stuck its fuzzy head out of the ground. Cloud picked up the still smoking corpse and tossed it onto the ever growing pile of over-sized dead rodents.

Vincent shot another one that popped up behind Cloud. "It appears the colony is larger than was first thought."

"Yeah." Cloud glared briefly at the nearby farmhouse, somewhat annoyed that his training had turned into glorified pest control. "Wonder what he has against rat poison? It'd be cheaper."

"But less discriminating. The effects on humans can be... unpleasant."

Cloud suspected that Vincent knew this from experience, and did not want to know how. He waited another minute then sighed. "Guess that's the last of them. You know, I told Tifa not to come because I wanted to be alone."

"That would not be prudent under the circumstances."

"I know." Cloud started walking toward the farm house but stopped after only a couple steps. "Vincent, what makes someone human?"

"I don't know."

Cloud looked down at his hands. _Then how am I supposed to know if I am?_

*7*7*

The tour bus looked like it had seen better days. Maybe a couple decades ago. The thought of getting on that thing, never mind riding in it, set Cloud's stomach on edge. In what he assumed to be a show of pity (or enlightened self interest?) Zack had some tranquilizers ready for him and Tifa held a spot at the front of the bus.

Though, the way the bus driver seemed determined to break every speed record ever made, Cloud couldn't help but think the only way he'd get through this was if someone cast sleep on him.

Maybe someone read his mind, a disturbing thought right there, because the next thing he knew something flashed red through his eyelids.

Not just that. He wasn't getting bounced around anymore and something very close to him smelled wonderful. Like winter and sweat and...

"Tifa." He blinked trying to focus on the brown mass occupying his right shoulder. Moving his head also revealed that his right cheek was sticky and there was some sort of thin crust at the corner of his mouth.

Oh great. He'd _drooled_ on her. Even as he tried to scrub the evidence off his face familiar laughter alerted him to the presence of an audience.

Zack grinned as he closed his phone. "Don't worry about it. She already got her revenge."

"Huh?"

Tifa hummed in a sleepy, far-too-sensual-for-comfort way as she eased up into consciousness and her seat. The knit pattern of Cloud's sweater had imprinted itself onto half of her face. She rubbed the corner of her mouth before realizing where she was and who she had used as a pillow.

"Oh, Cloud! I am so sorry! Let me... Does anyone have a tissue?"

For his own part, Cloud was too busy trying not to react to Tifa's proximity and rumpled appearance to even notice the damp stain on his shoulder.

Still laughing, Zack hoisted both of them to their feet. "All right, enough, you two. Everyone else is getting lunch and I'm starving!"

Cloud nodded dumbly as physical contact between him and Tifa broke. He was barely aware until he found himself sitting at a picnic table near the edge of the camp. Somewhere nearby he could hear the archaeologists trying to herd the tourists.

After a moment, Zack set down three trays of something that looked suspiciously like the infantry mess hall's 'Chocobo Shit Special.' Cloud looked at Zack, then Tifa. His eyes widened when he saw Zack scoop up a huge spoonful of the stuff and shove it in his mouth.

"You're eating it?"

"Yeah." Zack swallowed. "It's not that bad."

Desperate to get the conversation away from the alleged food, and out of honest concern, Tifa broke in. "Where are the others?"

Zack pointed his fork back toward the bus. "Vincent and Cait are unloading the last of our stuff. I think I saw Nanaki head for a stand of trees a little while ago. Kunsel said something about trying to convince the tour leader to pay us."

"So when you said everyone was getting lunch..."

"They finished! It took a really long time to wake you two up."

Cloud poked at the brown goo in front of him. "They probably didn't want to taste this any longer than necessary."

"If you won't eat it, I will."

Tempting as the offer was, an annoyed gurgle from Cloud's stomach reminded him that he hadn't eaten since breakfast. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and hoped Zack was right about the taste.

Zack inhaled his lunch before heading to what passed for a front office, a giant tarp-lined rib cage near the entrance to the dig site. A middle-aged man in overalls sat near the tent flap where a rib was missing.

"Hey there, youngster. You part of the tour?"

"Naw, I'm part of the security. I am interested in anything odd that's happened around here, though."

"Odd?" The man stroked his chin. "I suppose it depends on what you mean by odd. A couple days ago a strange group came through here. The girl in pink seemed particularly intent on traveling through the Sleeping Forest."

Zack felt his stomach plummet and instantly regretted his lunch. "'Girl in pink?'"

"Yeah. Pretty little thing. Seemed to be the leader, too. Now that was odd."

_"There was a forest and Aerith went inside."_

No way. This couldn't happen.

"Youngster? You okay?"

Zack blinked and shook his head. "Yeah. Fine. Just, uh, lunch was kinda..."

The man smiled in sympathy. "Takes a little gettin' used to. You can sit here for a bit, if you like." He pointed to a grassy spot near his chair.

"Thanks." Zack sat where indicated, trying to sort through his racing, panicked thoughts.

"No problem. I sure hope she's all right. The Sleeping Forest is a dangerous place. People go in and don't find their way out again. Though she and her companions did find a lunar harp, so they have a good chance. I'm a bit more worried 'bout that guy in the black cloak. He didn't look quite right and didn't say a word. Tried to warn him about the forest, but he just kept going like he didn't hear me."

Zack felt as if his skin had turned to ice. "When did this happen exactly?"

The man frowned as he tried to remember. "Well, the girl and her group left day before yesterday early in the evening. The guy in the cloak came through, I guess, three or four hours later."

And that night Cloud had that dream.

Zack jumped up. "Which way?"

"You aren't thinking of following them, are you?" The man gaped. "Didn't you hear what I said about it being dangerous? You'd need a lunar harp to get through and even then there're all sorts of strange monsters."

"Monsters aren't a problem."

"You'll still need a lunar harp." The man waved a hand toward the excavation crew. "If you're set on stayin' then you can probably get some help from my crew once the tourists are gone." He huffed. "Seems everyone's goin' there but us. And we've been tryin' to get fundin' for years."

Zack couldn't stand waiting. Not that he had nothing to do. Still trying to sort out everything in his head, he went out in search of Kunsel.

It didn't take long. Kunsel saw him first and hurried over.

"Zack, you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost." Kunsel checked behind him just in case.

Zack shook his head. "Worse. Cloud's dream wasn't just a dream. Aerith was here just before one of Sephiroth's copies."

"No way. Where did they go?"

"Through the forest." Zack fidgeted. "We're going to need something called a lunar harp to get through, which means waiting for the tour to leave. Damn it! I should have gone with her!"

"And do what? Look, just call her and let her know what's happening."

It took a moment to sink in, at which point Zack wanted to kick himself for not thinking of that earlier.

* * *

_So what happens next? Ah, you'll just have to wait. hehehehe_

_Seriously, though, I just barely got this far before the deadline. Yet it's almost the same length as the chapters I posted before running out of pre-written material! Good thing and bad thing, I suppose. After all, it isn't the best way to end the chapter. Probably._

_In case anyone is wondering what 'chocobo shit' would look like, look up ostrich feces. And wonder what ShinRa is feeding its troops._


	71. Okeanos

**Chapter Seventy - Okeanos**

"Really? You're sure? But how would he have found out?" Aerith cradled the phone against her ear. "I'm not sure if that's possible. I suppose it could be. Oh. Poor Cloud. ... You are? Is that a good idea? ... Well, yes, I suppose that's true. ... Okay. I'll see you then. And, Zack? I love you."

She closed her phone but didn't put it away. Her thoughts so filled her head that she didn't hear Cid settle on the log next to her.

"Somethin' the matter?"

Aerith snapped out of her musing. "Hmm? Yes, I'm afraid so. One of Sephiroth's copies is following us."

"What?" Cid's cigarette almost fell out of his mouth. "How'd your man find that out?"

"He and the others are at Bone Village. I g- Wait. My 'man'?"

Cid snorted. "Kinda late to deny it. Ah well, doesn't really have anythin' to do with our problem now, does it?"

"No. Zack said that they'd be following the copy's trail and probably meeting up with us later today."

"Is that so? That's somethin' at least." Cid stood and shaded his eyes against the sun. "Looks like we're gettin' closer to this city of yours."

*7*7*

The light turned green as it filtered through the leaves. Somehow, there seemed to be more light than could be accounted for by the sun. Cait strummed on the lunar harp as they walked down what could easily have been an avenue long ago.

Cloud stopped and looked up at the tree tops. "Did you hear that?"

"No." Zack barely slowed down.

Tifa took Cloud's hand. "It's a forest. There are probably lots of small animals."

"Sure." He couldn't say that it didn't sound like any animal he'd ever heard of.

Before he took three steps he stopped again. "There's something in the bushes."

That stopped everyone. Zack reached for his sword before remembering that he didn't have it. "What did it look like?"

Cloud shook his head. "I only saw a flash. Over there!" He pointed a little ahead of them.

Nanaki lowered his head. "I see it. I think it may be a summon materia."

"A summon materia that moves?" Kunsel sifted through the branches and leaf litter. "Got it!"

Zack started walking again. "Great. Now let's find that copy before he finds Aerith."

Kunsel snorted and put the materia in his pocket. "We're a day behind as it is. Five minutes isn't going to make much difference."

"I know. I know." Zack pinched the bridge of his nose. "Sorry. I'm just a little freaked out."

Everyone understood, of course. They picked up the pace and soon reached what seemed to be the edge of the forest.

Tifa's jaw nearly hit the dirt. "It's... It's so beautiful."

Kunsel frowned. "That looks like coral." He knelt down to run a hand over one of the plates making up the path. "Sea shells?"

"You can study it later, come on!"

Pieces of the path were missing, exposing bare, rough rock. This was better than what lay ahead. If there had been a bridge it was long gone, replaced by a partially hollow log. Zack, Kunsel, and Vincent crossed it with no problem.

Tifa caught her foot among the exposed roots before she could even get on top of the log. For a brief moment she saw herself fall over the edge of the cliff. It wasn't all that far. Certainly nowhere near as high as those on Mount Nibel. If she twisted the right way, maybe...

Strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her from the edge.

Cloud didn't let go until he had forced her to sit. He didn't let go for long. His hands went straight to her foot.

"Cloud, I'm fine."

He looked up, eyes narrow and brows down. Tifa blinked. He almost looked angry.

"Then why did you fall?"

"I was just thrown a little off balance. I'm not hurt. Really."

Cloud's eyes shifted to her pack. "Take it off."

"What?"

"You'll be able to move easier if you aren't carrying that."

"But I can't just leave it here." Even so, she found herself taking the pack off. With some help from Cloud.

"I'll carry it."

"What? No, Cloud, you can't. You won't be able to draw your sword."

Cloud removed the Buster Sword from his back and stabbed it into the earth. Once the pack fell free he swung it over his shoulders. He adjusted the straps on both the pack and his duffel then drew his borrowed sword out of the ground.

Tifa crossed her arms. "I'm still not sure this is a good idea."

"Better than letting you fall again. We should hurry."

True, while they had argued even Cait had managed to cross the make-shift bridge. Without the extra weight, Tifa quickly made it to the other side. Cloud followed her. The log groaned but held firm.

Nanaki greeted them. "Is everything all right?"

Cloud nodded. "Sorry for slowing everyone down."

"No need. It is nearly time for the evening meal, anyway. Zack and Kunsel went on ahead to check for any trace of the copy."

A wet chomping sound preempted any response Cloud or Tifa might have made. A blue, egg-shaped thing roughly three feet tall wobbled out from behind some rocks shaped like plate coral and wiggled cone-shaped eye-stalks at them.

Tifa took a step away from the thing. "What is it?"

"Hungry." At Tifa's incredulous look Cloud clarified. "That's what it's called. Really."

Nanaki lowered his head as a threat toward the monster. "Do we fight it?"

"Not if we don't have to. I've never fought one, but I've heard they're tough."

Tifa raised her fists and slid her left foot back in a defensive stance. "It looks more silly than tough."

"Some of the most dangerous monsters are like that." It was something Zack had told him once, he thought. He couldn't remember fighting many monsters before this journey, yet he somehow knew what to look for with this one.

Though perhaps it opening its mouth to unspool over a foot of tongue was rather obvious.

"Run!"

Nanaki all but flew back the way they came. Tifa hesitated a moment before following.

Cloud followed more slowly, acting as a shield for his retreating friends while holding the Buster Sword out to shield himself.

As heavy and awkward as that blade was, its size did have one advantage.

The wobbly monster suddenly lunged at Cloud with its toothless mouth wide open. It chomped down on the sword, making Cloud stumble from the weight shift.

_Glrk!_

Cloud managed to kick the hungry off without falling on his butt.

A small victory, or it would have been if the hungry hadn't taken that opportunity to bite his foot. Toothless or not, that hurt.

It also meant Cloud had to keep his balance with only one leg to stand on. That worked for about two seconds. The backpack prevented him from falling flat on his back, but he was still left in the unenviable position of looking up at his bug-eyed attacker.

That was when Cloud realized that the hungry was either constipated, or charging up a magic-based attack. Not wanting to take any chances, he swung the Buster in front of him and prayed that it wouldn't be anything lightning based.

He didn't get the chance to find out. Before the hungry could finish its attack, Tifa swept in with a crushing round-house kick.

"Cloud, are you hurt?"

"No." Except his pride. He stood and noticed the hungry starting to wobble toward them again. "Let's go."

They were able to meet up with the others without incident. Unfortunately, Zack and Kunsel hadn't found any trace of the copy. So after a quick meal they continued on toward the city.

At least, they assumed it was a city.

"More shells." Kunsel stood in the shadow of a particularly battered conch shell that probably would have been about twenty feet tall if the tip hadn't broken away. "Are these supposed to be houses?"

Zack shrugged. "Maybe a long time ago. Hey, that's Yuffie! Over here!" He waved his arms in an unnecessary attempt to get her attention.

Yuffie nearly plowed right through them. "You're finally here! So did you take care of that zombie?"

"Zombie?" Zack glanced at Kunsel, then Cloud, but they looked just as puzzled.

"You know. Black cloak, half-dead, groans a lot."

Kunsel tried not to groan himself. "That's a copy."

Yuffie waved him off. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. So did you take care of him or not?"

"No." Zack's scowl looked almost pitiful. "We didn't even find a trace of him."

"Great! He must've heard the White Rose of Wutai was on patrol and took off! Oh! I found something really cool. It's like materia but bigger and when I touched it there was this flash of light and some sort of weird mumbling."

Naturally, Kunsel looked interested. Nanaki and even Tifa seemed curious as well.

Zack cut off any further distractions with a shake of his head. "I want to make sure Aerith's okay first."

"She's fine. Probably. We haven't actually seen her for a couple hours. Relax! She's just meditating or something. Come on, I'll show you!" She barely finished speaking before she ran off toward the center of the ruin without even looking back to see if anyone was following her.

The path she took lead through a grotto of glowing white trees. Bits of plate coral reflected the ethereal light and the fading sunset.

Tifa slowed even though Yuffie continued to lead them at a run. "It's so beautiful, but..." She couldn't find a single leaf on any of the trees. "Are they alive?"

Nanaki took a moment to sniff. "They do not smell like living trees."

"I think they're fossilized." Kunsel kicked a fallen branch out of the way. "But what could make them glow like that?"

"Her voice." Everyone turned to look at Cloud, who had slowed almost to a stop, his eyes glazed over. "I can hear her."

Zack and Kunzel shared a look before urging everyone forward again.

*7*7*

Cid leaned against the railing overlooking the ghostly image seaweed fluttering in an invisible current. He'd stopped trying to figure out how it and the recessed lights worked almost half an hour ago. Even so, he was still wide awake, which was more than he could say for Barret.

So, of course, he was the first to hear Yuffie leading the rest of their companions into the seashell structure.

Maybe he took a little more pleasure than he should have in kicking Barret in the ribs. "Look alive! We've got company!"

Barret made a noise like he was trying to inhale his face and jerked up, gunarm aimed straight at Cid. "Damn it! Ya tryin' ta make me shoot ya?"

"Ain't my fault ya fell asleep on the job. Those dog tags real or just for show?"

"Corel Militia. Been fightin' since I was fifteen."

"Swell." Cid sounded thoroughly unimpressed. The rest of their argument had to wait. Zack was the first to arrive at their level.

"Where's Aerith?"

"Don't worry 'bout it. She's down there, prayin' or communin' with the planet or some such. We'd be down there watchin' her, but she said it'd be easier without a lot o' distractions." Cid looked pointedly at Yuffie. "Anywho, there's only one way down, so all's good."

Zack relaxed so much he looked almost ready to fall on his face. "Thank the gods. Did she say how long she'd be?"

"Nope. Just that it all depended on the planet. Could take all night."

"Right." Zack snapped into leadership mode. "We'll watch the entrance in shifts. Hmm. I guess one of the shifts will only have two people."

Kunsel pointed to Cait. "He could be on two shifts. It's not like he has to sleep."

"Wha- Hey! Now ye're takin' advantage o' me!"

"It's still a good idea." Zack clapped his hands together. "Okay, let's figure out who takes what shift."

* * *

_Did I tell anyone that the pivotal scene was going to happen this chapter? I think I did. Sorry! I really thought I'd get to it here. But not quite. Pretty close, though! I can almost guarantee that it'll happen next week. Almost. Barring unforeseen plot snags._

_Has anyone else noticed that the more ridiculous the monster the more you should run screaming from it? Excepting monstrosities like the dragon zombie, which has way too many... legs? Are those legs? And then there are the tonberries, which aren't so much ridiculous as adorable. But don't be fooled! They will stab you with those kitchen knives and you **will** die._


	72. Flower Blooming Underground

**Chapter Seventy-One - A Flower Blooming Underground**

After a little math and a lot of arguments, the first shift went to Zack, Nanaki, Cait, and Yuffie. Cloud, Tifa, and Barret got the second shift with Kunsel, Vincent, and Cid taking the third.

That was the idea, at least.

Cloud had difficulty falling asleep to begin with. The odd materia like orb Yuffie showed them earlier didn't just make noise. There were voices, words, but he couldn't understand what they meant. Maybe because the entire city seemed to have a strange background hum. That certainly didn't help him sleep.

Then, sometime after the sunset but well before his shift started, he sat up. He must have managed to fall asleep because he remembered waking up, he just didn't know why. He hadn't dreamed.

No. It was something worse.

Tifa blinked the sleep out of her eyes from the next bed over. "Cloud? What's wrong?"

"He's here."

"Who?" Ancient and thread-bare sheets slid down as Tifa sat up.

"Sephiroth. He's here."

"Are you sure?"

Cloud nodded.

Tifa jumped out of bed, any residual fatigue gone. "I'll get everyone up, then we'll go warn Zack."

*7*7*

Nanaki scratched inside his right ear. "Are you sure this is the best plan? Sephiroth does not need to use a door, after all."

"I know, but he seems to want an audience, too." Zack glared at the illusion covering the underground entrance. "Believe me, I'd rather be down there with Aerith."

"It's a dilemma to be sure. Bein' with her and maybe distractin' her or stayin' up here and frettin' over her safety. Seems ta me like there's no good choice in the matter."

There wasn't a good response to Cait's observation, so Zack turned his attention to Yuffie. She seemed intent on taking apart a section of wall.

"What are you doing?"

"I figure there's gotta be materia in here making the lights and everything work. I'm trying to get at i-HEY!"

Zack picked her up by the collar and dropped her next to Cait. "Don't mess with the lights."

"But...!" When Zack crossed his arms, she pouted. That didn't work, so she settled for sulking.

Because of that, she didn't notice Zack's expression change until he stepped away. His eyes unfocused and for a moment he seemed to lose all expression.

"No." He jumped for the stairs.

"Zack!"

And tripped right into the railing. Looking back down the spiral hallway, he saw the rest of the team run up toward him with Cloud in the lead.

Zack stood up and hoped no one had noticed his stumble. "You felt it, too?"

Cloud answered with a single nod.

"All right, everyone... WHOA!" Zack took one step past the illusion and froze. "Uh, follow me, single file, and if anyone has a problem with heights now would be a great time to mention it."

The reason became clear as the others past through the wavering image of the ocean floor. The stairs were transparent as if made of glass, yet they glowed with an ethereal light. No railings protected them from falling to the water far below. After maybe a dozen feet, the stairway curved in a wide arch toward what seemed like a small town with tall spires built over the lake.

More than one member of the party was grateful to reach solid ground.

Barret swore as he took a moment to lean against a stone wall. "I jes realized, we's gotta go back up the same way."

"Let's find Aerith before worrying about that." Zack started to turn left when Cloud grabbed his arm.

"This way."

Everyone, even Kunsel, held in any questions they had about how Cloud knew which way to go. Soon they reached a balcony where they could see a small shrine separate from the rest of the town. Two more flights of stairs (stone this time, thank the gods) and they were on a platform almost level with the shrine. They could see Aerith kneeling in prayer at the back of the shrine under a thin, curved wall of glass.

The only way to reach it was a narrow path of stone columns.

Zack breathed a little easier. "She's okay."

"For now." Kunsel did a quick visual scan of the shrine area. "It's not a good defensive position."

And they had to protect Aerith without distracting her, too. Zack frowned, trying to come up with a solution. "We could stay here but..."

"We wouldn't be able to reach her fast enough." Kunsel nodded to the alleged path. "And I don't think all of us would fit up there."

"Yeah..." Zack thought for a little longer before facing the rest of the team. "Okay, Tifa, Nanaki, Vincent, I want you up there guarding Aerith. Cid, Barret, and Cait go back to the stairs and make sure nothing comes at us from behind. The rest of us will... Cloud?"

He wasn't on the platform.

Tifa gasped and pointed up the path. There, almost to the stairs of the shrine, stood Cloud. Two more jumps.

"Cloud!"

Slowly, Cloud's hand jerked and started until he held the Buster Sword.

"CLOUD!"

A hand grabbed his wrist, forcing his grip on the sword to loosen. The blade clattered against the floor.

Cloud stumbled back, not yet aware of who had stopped him. "What are you trying to make me do?"

And time slowed.

Aerith looked up. She smiled. Warm and gentle, yet everything else grew colder.

Nothing else existed. No sound, no scent, no...

One sound. The crack and shift of leather. Even without looking, Cloud knew who it was.

Sephiroth descended, his coat billowing around him like black wings. He held out his sword, the Masamune, ready to strike down the helpless girl below.

Cloud stood only three feet away. Close enough to act, yet his body wouldn't move.

Someone yelled and Cloud found himself on the floor.

A shape, a person, Zack folded around Aerith trying to push her away.

Masamune pierced flesh, sliced bone, and then time stopped.

Only the sound of flesh sucking against metal, trying to keep it in place while a stronger force pulled it free, signaled that time had once again started to move.

Cloud, too, found his body moving. How, he didn't know, he could barely feel anything. He could only see Zack laying on top of Aerith, a pool of blood slowly expanding under them.

They couldn't be...

Zack moved. Shakily, painfully, but he managed to lift himself almost an inch before slipping in his own blood. Or was it Aerith's?

"Zack! Zack!"

Who was yelling? Cloud's throat felt too dry and knotted to speak. Maybe it was Aerith. Maybe they were both alive.

It felt like forever before he dragged himself to his friends. Maybe time hadn't started again, after all. Maybe this was all a dream and he'd wake up.

But first he had to move Zack. Or pull Aerith out from under him. Something. He barely had enough strength to lift his hand.

"Do not worry." Sephiroth's voice made all the hairs on Cloud's body stand on end. "Soon they will become part of the planet's energy. All that is left is to go north. The 'Promised Land' waits for me over the snowy fields. There I will become a new being by uniting with the planet. As will the..."

"Shut up."

Cloud trembled, his fists clenched so tight it was a wonder his finger nails didn't cut through his gloves. "The cycle of nature and your stupid plan don't mean a thing. My friends are dying and I can't even..." His eyes burned and the world went out of focus. Something wet hit his pants.

Again.

Again.

He was crying.

When was the last time he cried? He couldn't remember.

"What are you saying? Are you trying to tell me you have feelings too?"

Cloud jumped up to face Sephiroth, not caring in that moment about the tears or how red his face probably was. "Of course I do!"

Sephiroth chuckled. "Stop acting as if you were sad. There's no need to pretend you're angry, either." Sephiroth began to float up toward the surface. "Because, Cloud, you are..."

*7*7*

They saw it. All of it. They couldn't do anything. It happened too fast. By the time Kunsel and Vincent reached the stairs Sephiroth was gone.

Tifa ran after them until she felt a small pair of hands pull her back.

"Yuffie? Why are you stopping me?"

"I'm not!" The little ninja reached into her arm guard and pulled out a bag with something glowing inside. "Restore, all, heal, counter, barrier, uh, I think there are a few more in there."

"When did you...? Never mind. Thanks!"

"Yeah! Now show those boys who's boss!"

An instant later, something exploded in the shrine.

*7*7*

"Zack!"

"Hey. How're y..." A shudder ran through his body and he coughed up blood. He could hardly see.

_Don't fall asleep._

He heard her crying.

"Aerith... Don't worry." He wished he could move off of her. Maybe it was just as well. He could hear fighting. Even if he was squishing her at least he was also serving as a shield.

"I... I'm scared..."

"Yeah. Me, too."

*7*7*

Jenova. Or something similar. Kunsel noted that the coloring was different from the time on the cargo ship.

Vincent shot Jenova in the neck. He got a blast of blue flame in return.

Kunsel ducked under one of Jenova's tentacles as he tried to reach Zack and Aerith. Cloud already stood over them but he was unarmed.

Just then, a sparkling green light surrounded the fallen pair. Kunsel realized that it also surrounded him and Cloud. Glancing back, he saw Tifa with her hands out toward them. He nodded to her and went back to the fight.

*7*7*

Cloud felt the regeneration spell seep into him, but otherwise the outside world might as well not have existed. He wanted to protect Zack and Aerith. He wanted to fight.

He couldn't do either.

He felt some sort of power build inside Jenova. He blinked in time to see bubbles of water fill the shrine.

He couldn't breath. As soon as the bubbles disappeared he fell to one knee and coughed up water.

Helpless. Useless.

Zack's sword lay only a couple yards away. Cloud lunged for it, almost barreling into Tifa in the process. He rolled as he grabbed the hilt.

Somewhere nearby he heard gunshots. Probably Vincent.

Cloud held the Buster Sword out in front of him. He could hear the fighting. Could feel the pain his friends were in.

The pop and rush of a limit break spread through his body. He rushed forward and buried the sword deep into Jenova's hide. Pushing as hard as he could, he jumped, dragging the Buster up toward Jenova's neck. At that point he dug in his heals and jumped free.

Jenova screamed. He heard it with his ears and in his mind. The Buster fell from his hands as he hit the floor.

He heard Tifa yell his name. He heard fists hit something large and solid. It all seemed so distant.

A voice he'd never heard, but was sure belonged to Jenova, dominated his attention.

_"Because, you are... a puppet."_

_"I'm... a puppet?"_

* * *

_Extreme uGamer pointed out in a review that Sephiroth can fly and walk through walls. I attempted to justify the story direction in a reply, but couldn't deny that he had a very good point. So the start of this chapter addresses that issue. Hopefully. The rest..._

_Read while listening to Aerith's theme._


	73. In Between

**Chapter Seventy-Two - In Between**

_"... more bandages for..."_

_"Cloud, do you still have..."_

_"... can't cast anymore."_

_"She isn't getting any better."_

Zack woke up slowly. As the voices became clearer and more anxious, his heart sank. He wanted to jump up and find out what was going on but he could barely move. Everything felt sore, especially his chest.

Oh yeah, he remembered, he was stabbed.

As he got used to the soreness, he realized there was something, or more likely someone, sitting against his right leg. With far more effort than he cared to admit, he forced his eyes partway open. He saw a small figure hugging her legs to her chest and her head buried in her knees.

"Yuffie?"

Her head jerked up. "Oh, hey." She rubbed her eyes and cheeks in a vain attempt to hide her tears. "Y-you're up. Well, not up, but, uh..." She started to hiccup and hid her face between her knees. "I... think maybe I'm coming down with something. I f-feel kinda s-sick."

"Yuffie..." Zack swallowed. What he wouldn't give for a glass of water. "Yuffie, where's Aerith?"

She hugged her legs tighter. "N-not g-good. I-I don't g-get it. Y-you looked way worse but then... They said somethin' 'bout her speen and in-internal b-bleeding. They, they've been trying everything a-and... I don't know what to do! I t-tried but they just said to go away and... and Cloud's been no help at all! H-he wouldn't even blink o-or... What am I supposed to do! I hate it! F-feeling helpless... W-what if she dies!" Yuffie fell into Zack's side and started bawling. Loudly.

Zack tried to hold in a gasp as pain flared around his wound. Slowly, he managed to lift an arm, his left since his right was pinned under a blubbering pile of ninja, and patted Yuffie's back. "There, there. Everyone's doing their best. I'm sure Aerith will be fine."

He hoped it was okay to lie at that moment.

*7*7*

So much blood. Too much. And not nearly enough where it was supposed to be. Tifa collapsed against the railing of the shrine. Blood coated her legs but she hardly noticed. She had just spent the last ten minutes casting curaga over and over on Aerith. The spell didn't seem to have any effect other than giving her a splitting headache.

Had it always been that bright down there, or was it just the over-exertion?

Not really thinking at all clearly, she ended up skooching over next to Cloud. He was so warm. And solid. She curled up against his side quite willing to fall asleep right there.

"Tifa... I can't..."

"Please, Cloud. Let me stay here just a little while."

*7*7*

She didn't look any better. On the other hand, she didn't look any worse.

"I think that's all I can do for now." Cait pulled the materia out of his megaphone. "Anyone else want to give it a go?"

Kunsel shook his head. "I don't think any of us can right now."

"She needs a *$#* doctor."

"At least she's stable." Despite his words, Nanaki's ears drooped as he sniffed Aerith's hand. "Perhaps we should move her to someplace more comfortable."

"Moving her would only make things worse." Kunsel rubbed his eyes.

"They's gonna get worse anyway if we dun' do some'in'!"

"I know that!"

Before the argument could go any further, Vincent interrupted. "Zack's awake."

"At least somethin's goin' right." Cid glanced over at Zack, then Tifa and Cloud apparently asleep sitting up, and last at Aerith. They had managed to clean up a lot of the blood, but she still looked sick and far too pale. "$*$& I need a smoke."

Kunsel looked about ready to collapse, too. "We should all get some rest. I'll see if I can pry Yuffie off of Zack."

Before Kunsel could stand, Nanaki gently mouthed his wrist and tugged. "Do you think, perhaps, we were too hard on her?"

"Yuffie?" Kunsel thought for a moment. "Yeah, maybe. But there wasn't anything else she could do except maybe hurt herself. If you want, you can take her topside. A little fresh air would do you both some good."

*7*7*

_Coarse grass clung to the rocky soil on the hilltop. Small, hardy wild flowers crept along the ground as unassuming as possible._

_If this was the afterlife, it wasn't what she expected._

_"Aerith?"_

_She spun around. "Cloud? What are you doing here?"_

_He shrugged. For some reason, he seemed to be avoiding looking at her. "You were in my head earlier, so I thought... maybe..."_

_His mental image looked so young. As if part of him still hadn't realized that he was an adult. But that was beside the point. She opened her mouth to speak, but he got there first._

_"Do you know what's happening?"_

_"Yes." She folded her hands together. "I'm dying. Please, Cloud, tell them to stop. I'll just slow everyone down and you need to stop Sephiroth as soon as possible."_

_He looked at her then, his eyes wide and even younger than before. "Do you... want to die?"_

_She shook her head. "No, but..."_

_"Then don't. Please. I... We can't do this without you." For a moment, not even a second, his image flickered and she saw him as a small boy. "You can't die."_

_"It's not that simple. I don't have much energy left."_

_"Then take my energy! I'll trade places with you! Anything!"_

_"Cloud..."_

_He hung his head. "They need you. Zack needs you. And I... I almost..."_

_"They need you, too."_

_He wouldn't look up. "Please, Aerith. Come ba-" He collapsed, clutching his head. As she ran to him, his image flickered. The boy, himself, a shadow, and something else she didn't recognize._

_Just before she reached him, the world went white._

*7*7*

A hand on her shoulder woke Tifa. surprisingly, the owner of that hand turned out to be Vincent.

"It would be best if you slept elsewhere."

Tifa nodded but didn't move right away. Instead, she looked at Cloud. While she was asleep, she thought she heard him pleading with someone. but he was fast asleep. Maybe she had dreamed it or...

Cloud abruptly doubled over, clutching his head.

"What's happening? Cloud! Cloud, wake up!"

Vincent pulled Tifa away barely a moment before Cloud lashed out. His arm swung through the space Tifa had occupied, colliding instead with a stone baluster.

"Ah." Cloud raised his head and pulled back his arm. Chunks of stone fell to the water below. He stared at the back of his hand for a moment, then up at Tifa and Vincent. "Did I...?"

Tifa shook her head before he could finish. "You didn't hurt anyone."

"But I tried to." He went back to studying his hand. Slowly, he started to pick out slivers of stone. He flinched back when Tifa tried to reach for him.

"It's all right. Please, let me look."

"No. I... It's nothing. Aerith!" Cloud jumped to his feet, prompting Vincent to reach for his gun. Cloud only stared at Aerith. He could see her breathing though in obvious pain despite her coma. Nearby lay Zack's sword. Aware of Vincent's scrutiny, he walked toward it.

*7*7*

After Yuffie left with Nanaki, Kunsel sat next to Zack. "So... how are you feeling?"

"Like I've been stabbed." Zack winced. "Been worse. What about Aerith?"

"Stable for now. At least we got the bleeding to stop. It doesn't look good, though."

"I should have been faster."

"How? Cast haste on yourself before coming down here? We don't even have a time materia." Kunsel seemed about to say more, but a commotion at the other end of the shrine drew his attention.

Zack heard Tifa yell 'Cloud.' He tried to see what was happening but Kunsel's butt was in the way. So he tried lifting his head. For his trouble, the wound in his chest flared up again. With a hiss, he settled back to staring at the ceiling, such as it was. "What's going on?"

"I'm not sure. Hey!" Kunsel jumped up, sword in hand.

Through Kunsel's legs, Zack could sort of see Cloud standing about a yard away holding the Buster Sword. He couldn't see Cloud's face, but his stance seemed too loose for attack or defense.

A moment later, Cloud bent down to set the blade on the floor. Then Zack could see his face.

"Kunsel, it's okay."

"Yeah. Okay." Kunsel relaxed and stepped aside to let Cloud through.

Cloud knelt far enough away so he could slide the Buster between him and Zack. "I want to give this back."

Zack frowned. "Why? If it's because you think you don't deserve..."

"I don't." Cloud bowed his head so Zack couldn't see his face. "I almost killed Aerith with it."

"Sephiroth almost killed Aerith. And... You know, if you hadn't done that, I wouldn't have been close enough to save Aerith." Zack laughed, only it came out as more of a pained grunt. "It's not like it'd do me much good, anyway. I can barely move."

Probably not the best thing to say. Cloud curled in on himself more.

"Cloud, whatever happens, it'll be all right."

Silence stood between them for a moment before Cloud found the words to speak again. "I talked to her."

"What?"

"Aerith. I talked to her while everyone was treating her wounds. She... She said she didn't want to die, but she told me to tell everyone to stop trying to save her anyway."

Kunsel stared at Cloud. "How?"

"I'm not sure."

Zack swore as he forced himself to sit up. Kunsel tried to stop him, for what little good that did. Zack grabbed Cloud's shoulder, startlingly him into looking Zack in the face.

"Do you think you can do it again?"

"Uh, maybe?"

"Great. Because I have a message for her."

* * *

_So Zack's recovering but Aerith is still teetering on the edge. It makes sense, right? Zack's been wounded by Sephiroth before and survived, but Aerith doesn't have that kind of constitution. And she's got a ruptured spleen. Those can be really hard to deal with. Massive internal bleeding and all that. She could probably use a blood transfusion. Unfortunately, she's type O, meaning she can only get type O blood products. The only members of the group with type O blood are Barret and Zack, and Zack really isn't an option for a number of fairly obvious reasons. Then there's the lack of equipment for performing a transfusion._


	74. Hope Spot

**Chapter Seventy-Three - Hope Spot**

_Aerith floated weightless in the white void for what seemed like an eternity. She knew that if she just relaxed a little her spirit would leave this space and return to the Lifestream._

_It would be best. Then they could move on._

_Without me._

_Yet she knew her job wasn't finished. She could feel the connection with the white materia through her body. The planet had responded, yet nothing was happening._

_Alive, I could tell everyone. I could let them know what the planet is doing. Or not doing._

_As part of the Lifestream I could try to fix whatever had gone wrong._

_Ground formed around her feet. Rocks and tiny, stubborn flowers trailed in front of her._

_"Aerith."_

_"Cloud? Are you all right?"_

_He hung his head. "I don't know. Zack... has a message. He said, 'I promised to bring you back to your mom. She'll hate me if I break it.'"_

_"Mom..." She wanted to see her again. She wanted to see Zack and everyone. Was it right? Maybe, maybe not. She wouldn't know unless she made a decision. "I want to come back. I'm just not sure how."_

_Cloud looked up, obviously relieved. "We just need to finish healing you, right? I have to go now. I... We'll see you soon."_

*7*7*

Tifa sat on a stone bench at the edge of the underground city. Specifically, the balcony where they first saw Aerith. There seemed to be nothing else she could do except sit and wait.

She heard Barret stomping long before came in sight.

"Hoo! There ya are. Been worried 'boutcha."

"Sorry. I needed a little air."

"Tha's not wha' I'm most worried 'bout." Barret grunted as he sat down next to Tifa. "This pro'lly ain't the best time. Hell, there pro'lly ain't a best time, but wi' the way thin's are goin'... Look, I know you've got it bad fer Spikey, don' try denyin' it, we all saw ya curled up next ta him. An' I know I can't tell ya wha' ta do wit' yer life. I'm jes sayin' that I'm worried 'bout yer safety." He almost instantly leaned back with his arms up for defense. "I know yer tough, lot tougher 'an some men, but ya've seen what he can do. He's gonna kill ya someday if ya ain't careful."

Tifa looked away. "Cloud would never hurt me intentionally."

"Then how 'bout on accident? Or that mind control stuff ever'one's talkin' 'bout?" Barret sighed. "It ain't healthy."

"I know. Once we defeat Sephiroth that shouldn't be a problem any more."

"An' if it is?"

Tifa snapped her eyes up to Barret. She hadn't thought of that. "I... I don't know. He..." Slowly, she turned her head toward the shrine. She couldn't tell what all was happening, but she assumed Cloud and the others were trying to revive Aerith. "I don't want to think about that. He doesn't deserve it."

"Not sayin' he does. Jes tryin' ta get ya thinkin' 'bout yer own safety fer once. Ehh. I'm gonna look round an' see if there's any way up besides the stairs. An' I thought them endless stairs at ShinRa were bad." With that he stomped off, leaving Tifa with more to think about than when she started.

*7*7*

"Can we really heal her?"

Zack shrugged. After managing to sit up, and not fall over, he didn't have much energy for anything else.

"She lost a lot of blood, so she'll probably need a transfusion if nothing else." Kunsel leaned back to stare up at the entrance far above them. "Of course, first we have to figure out how to move her."

Cloud looked up. "We can't carry her?"

Kunsel's attention returned to his immediate surroundings. "No, I'm talking about trying to get her up the stairs without someone tripping."

A hiss from Zack's direct pulled both Cloud and Kunsel out of their conversation.

"Sorry..." Zack clutched his side. "Had an image of Barret falling off and complaining all the way down. It's not funny, but..."

Kunsel snorted. "Okay, so maybe it isn't. But you get the idea. If we had maybe a ton of rope we could set up a pulley system to lift her up, but other than that I just can't think of a way to move her."

Cloud went back to staring at Aerith. "Maybe Cid would know how."

That made sense. Kunsel nodded. "Cid left a minute ago, probably for a smoke. How about you find him and talk to him about it."

It took a moment for Cloud to realize Kunsel was talking to him. "Me?"

"It's your idea. And it'll give you something to do."

Zack smiled. Or grimaced, it was hard to tell which. "Looking forward... to what you two come up with."

Despite feeling like he was being set up, again, Cloud left as instructed.

*7*7*

Yuffie danced around glowing panels of the sea shell house. "Come ooooon!"

"I don't think this is a good idea."

"It's a great idea!" Yuffie shook Nanaki's muzzle. "This whole place looks like it's run on materia. Something in here has to be able to help."

Nanaki pulled free of Yuffie's grasp before replying. "I doubt any materia used to turn on lights would be capable of healing someone."

"Well, maybe they left some other materia around. Now help me look!"

There wasn't much else he could do, so Nanaki nosed around some of the debris at the back of the room. Soon, he found what seemed to be an old chest. The latch had long since rusted away making it easy for Nanaki to open it. "I think I found something."

"What is it?" Yuffie shoved Nanaki aside. Inside the chest sat a vial filled with a purplish liquid. Yuffie picked it and pulled out the stopper. "Smells kinda like an elixir. This is great!" Yuffie shoved the stopper back in place. "I bet this'll cure Aerith!"

Nanaki had to run to keep up with Yuffie as she raced back through the glowing wood. "We don't know how long that's been in there."

"Who cares as long as it works!" Thankfully, Yuffie had to slow down when she reached the translucent stairs.

"What if it's gone bad?"

"It didn't smell bad. You can smell it once we get to the bottom if you're so worried."

The walk down almost seemed longer than the first time. After taking a long sniff, Nanaki had to agree that it smelled all right. Not exactly fresh, but certainly not poisonous.

Not that he had time to give a full evaluation. He'd barely taken his nose away when Yuffie ran off toward the shrine, completely ignoring Cloud and Cid in the process.

"What the *&$^ got inta her shorts?"

"She believes an elixir we found may help Aerith."

Cloud's eyes widened. "Could it?"

"After everything we tried already?" Cid released a puff of smoke. "Doubt it. Little lady needs a doctor. Speakin' of, I've got an idea fer gettin' her outta here. Ya don't mind havin' a gurney strapped to yer back, do ya?"

As the last part was addressed to him, Nanaki shrugged. "I will do whatever it takes to move Aerith safely, though I do wonder how you would keep the gurney stable."

Cid grinned. "Jes leave that ta me."

* * *

_Yeah, it's a short chapter. I was having trouble coming up with what could possibly happen next. And then I was having a crazy time trying to get some mods to work in Minecraft. And... life. Life happened a lot this week. I'm thinking I may just skip straight to them going back to Bone Village, maybe have some exposition to help with the transition. _


	75. Prognosis

**Chapter Seventy-Four - Prognosis**

To the (unvoiced) amazement of the rest of the team, Cid's contraption worked. By then it was the middle of the afternoon. They didn't have enough time to get everyone to Bone Village before dark, so eventually they decided on sending Cloud, Vincent, and Nanaki on ahead to arrange for medical aid.

Once they got there, and found the resident medic, Vincent disappeared into the forest with the lunar harp. Cloud waited by the entrance to the forest well into the next evening before he heard the tinkling melody of the harp again. He almost dropped the sharpening stone and the Buster as he jumped from his seat.

The first one through the trees was Cid. He grinned and turned to the rest of the team, one member in particular. "We got ourselves a welcomin' committee! Pay up, Barret!"

"Yeah, yeah, soon's I get this pack off."

Eventually, everyone got through. Aerith lay on a stretcher made of some bits of furniture from the city. Tifa carried one end and Kunsel carried the other. Zack pouted nearby until he noticed Cloud. Then he grinned, winced, and grinned some more.

"Hey, Cloud! Taking good care of my sword? It looks good."

Cloud didn't want to answer. "How's Aerith?"

"The same." Zack looked back at the stretcher. Nanaki had arrived with the medic, who directed Kunsel and Tifa toward a tent near the edge of the camp. "We've been casting regenerate on her every couple hours or so, but that hasn't made much difference."

"Oh."

Zack put on a smile again and patted Cloud's shoulder. "There's only so much materia and potions can do. That's why we brought her here. She'll be fine."

_Lies._

Cloud tried to shake the negative thoughts out of his head. "I... should put your sword away."

He walked right past Tifa without realizing she had greeted him.

*7*7*

_"Come, child."_

_No. She had to help her friends._

_"It's all right. Come."_

_She didn't want to. She tried to resist the pull. Her efforts were exhausting. Still, she remained in place._

*7*7*

Kunsel waited until Tifa left the tent to talk to the medic. "How's she look?"

"Not good." The medic set a pillow under Aerith's feet before taking out a bag of saline. "From what I've been told, she's been in stage 4 hypovolemic shock for almost a day and a half. Even if we can revive her there will probably be permanent damage. Especially since she wasn't administered oxygen during that time."

"We cast regenerate and curaga on her a lot. Would that make a difference?"

The medic inserted a needle into her wrist. "Somewhat. There hasn't been much research on the effect of those spells on brain damage, however."

Kunsel sighed. "That's better than nothing, I guess. Oh." He pulled the elixir Yuffie and Nanaki found out of his pocket. "Could you test this to see if it's still effective?"

"Certainly, though I hope you don't intend to give this to her while she's unconscious."

"Nah. We'll save that for when she wakes up." With that, Kunsel left.

The medic smile at Aerith. "You have some very good friends. I'm sure you want to come back to them, so I'll do my best to make that possible."

He got her buried under blankets by the time Zack walked in. "Is it okay if I sit in here with her?"

"Of course. Having friends nearby is always good for the sick. Let me..." The medic glanced around his tent. "Let me see if I can find a chair, or something you can sit on." He nudged a crate and frowned. "How much do you weigh?"

"More than I look."

The medic looked up at Zack's eyes. "I see. So, something sturdy for you to sit on." A little searching and he pulled out a rusty metal folding chair.

"Thanks." Zack winced as he sat down.

"Are you injured?"

"It's nothing. I'll be fiaaaAAAAAAAH!"

The medic removed his finger from Zack's chest. "I'm sure you will be. Take off your shirt."

*7*7*

There weren't any spare tents, so the group set up camp just off the road in. Once everyone claimed a spot for their bedrolls, and Zack escaped the medic, they gathered around the fire to figure out what to do next.

"We can't leave Aerith here." Tifa hugged her knees. "What if Sephiroth tries to kill her again?"

Zack sighed and resisted the urge to pick at the bandages he'd been wrapped in. "We won't. The doc told me we should take her to a hospital. Thing is, the closest one is on a ShinRa military base."

"If we're still going north we'd pass through Icicle Inn. There's a small hospital there. Of course, that would mean trying to get her across the frozen wastes."

Cid snorted at Kunsel's suggestion. "Hope you got a 'copter in that pack o' yours, 'cause there's no way in hell we're carrying her all that way."

Yuffie frowned. "Why not?"

"'Cause it's _cold_, idjit. She's got a hard enough time stayin' warm as it is."

"How are you calling an 'idjit?'"

"How 'bout a truck? These bone guys gotta have som'in' we can borrow."

Zack shook his head. "It'd have to be something with amazing suspension. The roads up there aren't very good."

"Oog. I'm getting sick just thinking about it."

As the argument continued down its path to nowhere, Tifa turned to Cloud. He hadn't said a word the entire time. He'd barely moved, too, just staring at the fire with his chin on his knees.

"What do you think, Cloud?"

He shrugged.

Tifa rubbed her forehead. She felt a headache coming. "It's late. Maybe we should continue this in the morning."

A mutter of consent, and perhaps relief, rose from the group. They barely took the time to assign watches before collapsing in their sleeping bags.

*7*7*

She'd heard stories of near-death experiences. Usually the people described re-entering their bodies as being pulled or falling quickly. Maybe that was how it happened for most people. For her it felt much more gradual. Like waking up after a particularly vivid dream. The dream and reality overlapped until she wasn't sure which was which.

Awareness came slowly at that point. When she realized she had a headache she almost wanted to laugh. She was in pain! That didn't happen to someone who was dead. At least, she didn't think so.

Her sense of time still hadn't returned when she figured out that she could use her vocal chords. She was still dealing with the concept that time existed.

Somewhere outside of herself she could hear someone talking. Ah, so she wasn't alone. She had two new concepts now, being alone and not being alone. Being able to hear was a bit of a novelty, too. Though it'd be nice if she could understand the words.

Words. Right. Those were used to communicate. She could use words, too, once. Maybe she could again.

All that came out was a faint moan.

Why did she feel so heavy? She knew she used to be able to move, too, but she didn't have enough strength to even twitch her fingers.

Ah! She had fingers! Maybe she couldn't move them because she only now became aware of them. There. It took much more effort than she thought it should, but she managed to lift one finger before it dropped.

That's when she realized that she was surrounded by something rough and warm. She thought it had to have a name, but she couldn't think of it right then. She decided to concentrate instead on discovering what other body parts she had.

Well, she had a head, because it hurt, but she couldn't move it. Her chest hurt, too. Maybe those things were too big and painful to move yet. If she had fingers, maybe she had toes, too. Where would they be?

There they were. They didn't seem to want to move, but she got them to anyway.

"She moved! Doc! Come look!"

She knew that voice. It belonged to someone very important.

Something warm and strong, but also incredibly gentle slipped over her hand.

"Aerith, are you awake? If you can hear me, squeeze my hand."

She did. It took all the energy she had left, but she did. The last thing she heard before falling asleep was that important person crying.

*7*7*

Zack continued to sit by Aerith's cot with her hand in his for the rest of the day. She came close to waking a couple of times but never enough to communicate. The medic insisted that was a good thing. At least she wasn't in a coma. Her body now just had to heal and regain the blood she lost.

So it wasn't until the next morning that he read Kunsel's text message.

* * *

_Ah, the joys of having a varied educational history. Not to mention job history, and a dad who's practically a walking encyclopedia. I learned to love research. So, hypovolemic shock is a real medical term referring to the body's response to pronounced blood loss. Aerith being in stage 4 shock means that she's lost over 40% of her total blood volume and is at great risk of stroke, heart attack, liver failure, kidney failure, and/or gangrene of an extremity or two. Oh, and death as a result of any or all of those complications. Brain damage due to prolonged oxygen depletion is also a possibility. Would I do any of that to her?_

_Maybe._

_Oh, a little note about how I'm handling Cloud's problem for future reference. I'm quite interested in the preternatural and have done quite a bit of reading on the subject of hauntings and the like. Besides wanting to understand creation better, I also want to know what to do if something... strange were to happen. And it makes good story material. Anyway, I'm see Cloud as being in a situation similar to demonic obsession with occasional demonic possession. Sephiroth being the demon in this case. I think it fits. Even though Sephiroth used to be a fairly decent person he's definitely not anymore and him being defeated by a spell called Holy is a parallel too good to pass up._


	76. Meanwhile

**Chapter Seventy-Five - Meanwhile...**

_Twenty-four hours before Zack got the text message._

Snow crunched under Elena's shoes as she slid out of the troop transport. Heavier crunches and the shuffle of thick fabric told her that the troops had disembarked as well. They shuffled in place for a while until one dared to speak.

"Um, orders?"

Elena turned to them. "What?"

The bold trooper looked around to his fellows hoping for some support. Not getting any, he took a deep breath and answered. "What are our orders?"

"Oh, right. Um. Divide into three teams. One to secure the inn, the second to collect any supplies available in town, and the third to do a perimeter sweep."

All the troopers looked at each other before a second one managed to find his voice. "How are we supposed to do all that? There are only eight of us."

The first trooper half-raised his hand. "And shouldn't we unpack the supplies we already have?"

Elena's eye twitched from the strain of not screaming. "Fine. I'll pick up supplies in town. You and you unpack. The rest of you secure the inn."

"The entire inn?" The second trooper seemed about ready to vibrate out of his boots. "I mean, there are probably tourists and..."

"Then _kick them out_! This is a very important mission and I will not let personal tragedy get in the way!"

"Wait... what?"

"Never mind, just do what I say! GO!"

The troopers scrambled over each other in their haste to get away from the obviously unstable Turk.

Elena sighed and started walking toward the town. There was no way this day could get any worse.

She really should have known better.

*7*7*

Kunsel nodded politely as the elderly lady went on about the weather and her missing husband. Taking the opportunity provided by her aging lungs, Kunsel pointed to a map mounted on the wall.

"Can I borrow this?"

"Oh, yes. It's not doing me any good. Though what you young people are thinking with the storms we've had I don't know. Keep an eye out for my husband, will you? I'd like to know if he's still alive and if he plans on ever coming home."

Kunsel assured her that he'd do his best and escaped.

Perhaps he shouldn't have been in such a hurry. At the path leading to the ski slopes he bumped into one of the many people he didn't want to meet.

"YOU!"

"Oh no." Kunsel tried to step around Elena, but she jumped in front of him again.

"You're one of them! You really have guts for doin' in my boss like that!"

"What? We didn't..."

"No! Don't think you can fool me, liar!"

"It wasn't us! It was Sephiroth! And the last time we saw him he was alive."

"Don't try to act innocent. I'll never forget it!"

Kunsel buried his face in his hands. "This can't be happening."

"Justice always prevails. Now prepare for some pain!" Elena let loose what would have been a passable right hook if she hadn't been quite so emotional. That her opponent was a SOLDIER didn't help, either.

Kunsel didn't even have to touch her. He just stepped aside and watched as she rolled downhill. With a sigh, he turned toward town, this time keeping a better eye on his surroundings.

Not that he needed his eyes to tell when Barret was barreling toward him.

"Yo, Kunsel! We've got company!"

"Really. So why are you broadcasting our position to everyone with ears?"

"Huh?"

Kunsel shook his head. "Never mind. So besides a Turk who took a tumble down the bunny hill how many are we talking?"

"I'm not even gonna ask." Barret frowned. "Saw me'be six head inta the inn."

Now it was Kunsel's turn to frown. "I just passed there. When was this?"

"Fifteen, me'be twen'y minutes ago?"

"Great. Well, they probably aren't here for us. The Turk seemed pretty surprised to see me."

"So what are they doin' here?"

"The same thing we are? Speaking of which, where is everybody?"

Barret shrugged. "Cid was arguin' with some mechanic last I saw him. Not sure 'bout the rest."

"Hopefully, Cloud and Tifa are still looking at snowboards. Check the shops. I'll head back to the inn and make sure no one got caught."

"Yeah right." Barret snorted. "If they'd been the whole town woulda heard it."

"Maybe. Just want to be sure."

*7*7*

Vincent glided into the room shared by Nanaki and Cait. "We're leaving."

"Now? Where're the others?" Cait tried to get a look around Vincent's legs but got pushed back.

"ShinRa's here." Vincent nodded toward the back window. "Grab what gear you can."

Nanaki slipped his head through the loop of one backpack. "If we become separated, is there anywhere we should meet?"

"The wooded area near the slopes."

"A bit o' problem, lads." Cait had his moogle waddle next to the window. "I don't think I'll fit. Well, I will, but my...HEY!"

Vincent shoved a backpack into Cait's arms and tossed him out the window. He nodded an all clear to Nanaki who willingly jumped. Then he shoved Cait's moogle through. It struggled at being handled so roughly, but did eventually pop out the other side. It landed with a distinct woomph almost on top of Cait. Vincent's landing hardly dented the snow.

They crept around the back of the inn. Once assured the coast was clear, they headed into the trees. Nanaki and Vincent melted into the shadows easily. Cait stumbled and crashed despite him desperately prodding his mechanical mount to tread quietly.

Eventually, Vincent help up a hand signalling them to stop.

"Ha. Ha. I'm startin' to think my creator needs to redesign my ride."

Nanaki rolled his good eye as he sniffed the air. "Amazingly, it would seem no one followed us. We should find the others to alert them of the danger."

"I'll go." Vincent took one step forward when Nanaki raised a paw.

"I have a cellphone."

Cait stared at Nanaki, more specifically, his lack of clothing. "Where?"

"In here." Nanaki nosed open a pocket of the backpack he grabbed. "It's a little difficult to use, but..."

"Give it to me." Cait shied back when Nanaki growled. "Or not. That's perfectly fine, too."

Nanaki set the phone down on a relatively dry spot of ground and started dialing with a claw. As it started ringing he pressed the speaker button.

_"Hello?"_

"Kunsel, this is Nanaki. ShinRa troops have occupied the inn."

_"So I heard. Did you get out okay?"_

"Yes, though some of our equipment was left behind."

_"Guess there's nothing we can do about that right now. Who's with you?"_

"Vincent and Cait."

_"Great. So I still have to find Yuffie. Where are you?"_

"About five, no, six yards from the path leading down to the Great Glacier."

_"Stay there. We'll meet up with you as soon as I can get everyone together."_

"We will see you then." Nanaki shuffled the phone around until he got it to close. "Now we wait."

* * *

_Short chapter, and it doesn't answer many questions, but this is what I was able to come up with in the time I had. Real Life decided to drop a few cinder blocks on my head. Oy._


	77. Frozen

**Chapter Seventy-Six - Frozen**

_Twenty and a half hours before Zack got the text message._

Yuffie back-flipped over the return path of her shuriken, snatching it out of the air. Tifa rushed the wolf furthest to the right while Cloud took the one in the middle. A fireball took out the last one.

"Status." Kunsel stuck his recently warmed left hand under his jacket.

Cid held his hands over his mouth, and his ever present cigaret. "Freezin' my $^&# ass off."

"Same here. Can barely feel my gun-arm."

Even Vincent had to rub his arms against the cold. "The wind is picking up. We should keep moving."

"Can we go back to that hot spring?" Yuffie wrapper her arms around her body and hopped from one foot to the other.

Kunsel snorted. "I wish. It looks like we're going to be out of the rocks soon, so everyone stick together. If the wind's bad now it'll be worse once we're in the open."

Cait clung desperately to his moogle. "Worse? I'm 'bout to fly away!"

"It's not that bad." Cloud kept his voice low enough so hardly anyone could hear him. He stayed behind Tifa as they continued north.

Shifting forms of white and pale grey greeted them. Yuffie dug her mittened hands into Nanaki's fur. Tifa slowed. Eventually, she all but attached herself to Cloud's side.

They kept walking. And walking. They could barely see, and all they could hear was the howling wind and their own chattering teeth.

"I think... I see a cave! Up ahead!" Kunsel's voice, even so close, could barely compete with the wind.

By then, Yuffie, Nanaki, and Cait were shuffling along under Vincent's cloak. Barret and Cid trailing behind by a few paces. Cloud had started carrying Tifa a little while ago, but even he seemed ready to collapse. They were almost crawling by the time they reached the mouth of the cave.

Inside was just as cold as outside, but without the wind. The tattered remains of a tent and some rusted pots littered the floor.

Yuffie collapsed against Nanaki. "I c-c-can't-t-t-t f-f-f-feeel mmy t-t-t-toesss."

"Ev-veryone, huddle t-together for warmth." Kunsel fumbled with his pack before managing to drop it to the cave floor. "I'll see how many b-blankets we have. Cloud, see if there's anything in the tent that'll h-hold a flame."

Cloud set Tifa down between Nanaki and Cait's moogle before following Kunsel's instructions.

"Nothing."

Kunsel sighed. His breath solidified on contact with the frozen air. "We d-don't have enough here to k-keep everyone w-w-warm." He threw the blankets in Cid's general direction. "Wrap-p up. I'll be right b-b-back."

Just outside the cave, Kunsel's hands trembled as he tried to get a signal on his cell. "D-d-damn it. Come on. C-c-come onnnn. Yes!"

*7*7*

_Now._

Zack sat at Aerith's bedside rolling his cellphone in his hands. A single text message glowed on the screen.

_'strm dnt fllw'_

"They're in trouble and I'm not there to help. I have to help them but I can't leave you like this. I... I don't know what to do." Zack sighed and rested his head against the edge of the cot. "Please wake up. I don't think I can do this without you."

"Zack..."

His head snapped up. He saw her blink and had to use every ounce of will power he possessed to keep from scooping her into his arms and dancing.

"Zack..."

"I'm here. I'm right here." He dropped his cell phone in his haste to grab her hand.

"Got your message." She smiled and closed her eyes. "Go. Help. I'll be here... when you get back."

A stone formed in his stomach as its twin lodged in his throat. "I can't... What if something... I can't bear the thought of losing you."

Aerith took a deep breath. Just trying to form words in her head seemed to take a lot of effort. "Holy isn't moving. Can't reach..." Her eyes opened, but they didn't seem to quite focus. "Cloud, look out."

"Aerith?"

She blinked a few times as if not sure what had happened. Then she slowly drifted back to sleep.

*7*7*

The first thing Cloud realized as he started to wake up was that he had been asleep. And he had tried so hard not to give in to hypothermia. Then he realized he felt warm. That scared him for a moment until he realized that if the hypothermia had gotten that bad he wouldn't be coherent enough to realize any of this.

He didn't remember resting against anything fuzzy earlier, either. It was possible he rolled over Nanaki in his sleep, but the surface under him seemed to soft and even for that.

Maybe he was hallucinating. He managed to blink and saw the underside of a roof complete with rafters.

Definitely hallucinating.

"Ugh. What the..." Kunsel's voice drifted through from somewhere to his left. "Where are we?"

Cloud struggled with the fur blanket he'd been wrapped in before managing to sit up. "Not sure. Do you see the inside of a house?"

"Yeah." Kunsel shifted to get a look behind him. "I think we're all here."

"You awake?" Footsteps echoed above. A heavy pair of boots appeared over the edge of the loft soon followed by overalls and the man wearing them. "You collapsed at the Great Glacier. It's a miracle you're all right."

"And you brought us all here? Thanks, though I wouldn't say we're all right until we're all awake."

"Hah! True 'nough. I've got some grub on the stove, the smell should rouse anyone who's up to eating right quick."

Cloud pulled himself free of the blanket and started checking on everyone. Tifa lay barely a yard away on the other side of Barret. Both started moving on their own soon after their host left. Nanaki woke first and sniffed the air.

"Have we been rescued?"

Kunsel nodded. "Looks like."

It did seem a little too real to be a hallucination. Cloud decided he'd hold off on making a final judgement until he saw Vincent's reaction.

Or lack thereof. While everyone marveled and questioned their changing luck, Vincent simply glanced around the room before striding in the direction of what was probably the kitchen. Heeding their empty stomachs, everyone started drifting the same way.

Their host smiled as he started handing out bowls. "My name is Holzoff. I've been living here twenty years now. If you plan on heading north, you'd better listen to my story." He motioned to what he had available for seating. Mainly an old sofa that probably hadn't started out that shade of brown. "You ever hear about those who challenged the cliff?"

Most of them were too busy eating to do more than shake their heads.

Holzoff shrugged. "There's an old legend that says something fell from the sky here a long time ago. That's what's supposed to have pushed the land up and formed this cliff. Thirty years ago, Yamski and I took this cliff on to see what was on the other side. But, we weren't prepared for it. We did expect the temperature to be low but..." He sat, staring at his own bowl of stew as if it reflected his memories. "On that cliff, there's always a biting cold wind. The cold air lowers your body temperature. "Yamski was below me. He cut his own rope... and I didn't even notice..."

The room fell silent. Before anyone could think of proper words of condolence, Holzoff shook himself out of his funk and continued.

"After that I settled here, continuing to challenge the cliff, and provide warning and shelter to my fellow climbers." He pointed his spoon at the youngsters he rescued. "If you're going to climb the cliff, there's two precautions you have to make. First off, mark your path. It's hard to find with all the snow. Second, make sure you keep warm."

Kunsel got up for more stew. "Anything else? We're a little short on equipment so if there's anything you can lend us that'd be great."

"You came all this way knowing you didn't have the right equipment?"

"No, well, yeah. We... lost quite a bit on the way here."

Holzoff nodded. "Then the best thing to do would be to turn back and try your luck again later. But if you're determined I may be able to help."

After a few minutes of looking through a confusing array of ropes, grips, and other tools with sharp bits, Yuffie pulled Cloud aside.

"Have you seen Vincent?"

"Vincent?" Cloud lifted his head as high as he could and looked around. "He was... just here."

"I know! But he isn't now. So where is he?"

Cloud shrugged.

"UGH! You are so hopeless!" Yuffie grabbed the front of Cloud's parka and dragged him into the back room. "I want you to help me _look for him_. Gawds."

"Oh, uh..." Cloud took a quick look around the room. "I don't think he's here."

Yuffie rolled her eyes and went straight to the ladder up to the loft. "If he isn't in here then... You don't think he went outside, do you?" Her head appeared over the edge of the loft. "He did! He went out alone where he's gonna turn into a, a, a spooksicle! What is _wrong_ with him?"

"I don't know?" Before Yuffie could complain, Cloud jerked his head to the side. "Did you hear something?"

"Besides this creepy wind? Seriously, it's like it's howling or something."

"That's not the wind..."

* * *

_I had hoped to get a little further with this chapter, but that wasn't going to happen and still make the deadline._

_Did they really try to climb Gaia's Cliff with no mountain climbing gear? It makes almost as much sense as them going to the frozen north in their regular clothes. (Mini-skirts and glaciers don't mix.) Not much else to say without giving out spoilers._


	78. Chrysalis

**Chapter Seventy-Seven - Chrysalis**

There were so many blankets wrapped around her she could hardly move. Not that she could move much anyway, but still.

_Maybe this is what chicks feel like before they hatch. Or caterpillars._

Zack jumped into the front seat of the car next to the medic. "Thanks for offering us a lift. You sure this isn't too much trouble?"

"You'd be amazed how often people get hurt at the dig. If I can't treat them on site I take them to Icicle Inn. The doctor there is a friend of mine and well used to treating serious trauma cases."

Zack hadn't even realized how tense he was until he felt that tension release.

Aerith felt him relax, too. It made her smile even though a far off corner of her mind whispered that there was still something very wrong.

*7*7*

Kunsel picked up a tool that could, with some modifications, be attached to Barret's arm. Just in time to see Yuffie burst out of the back room with Cloud reluctantly on her heels. She ran straight for the outer door and into the cold.

Before Cloud could follow her, Kunsel grabbed his shoulder.

"Hey, what's going on."

"Vincent's outside."

"He's..." Kunsel looked around the room. "Oh for crying out loud. Everyone, start packing, we'll be right back."

Cold air hit them as soon as they opened the door. Even without his winter weather gear on, Kunsel knew he could last at least an hour out there. Yuffie was another matter. They had to find her somewhere in the blowing snow.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!"

That was easy. Made even easier by Vincent's blood red cloak whipping in the storm like a flag. Apparently he was on his way back when Yuffie accosted him.

"You had us so worried!"

Cloud frowned. "But you were the only one who noticed."

Yuffie ignored him as she continued her tirade. "Is that _blood_! Are you hurt?"

Vincent tried to pull his cloak over his arms. "It's not mine."

"Down, Yuffie." Kunsel came to Vincent's rescue, pulling the little ninja toward the house. "Aren't you the one who ran outside without a coat?"

"Huh? Oh. R-right."

With Yuffie safely out of earshot, Kunsel turned to Vincent. "Limit break?"

Vincent might have nodded, or maybe the cowl of his cloak blew up slightly. "I thought it best to deal with it under more or less controlled circumstances."

"And without an audience." Acting as if he hadn't said anything just then, Kunsel nodded toward the house. "Let's get inside."

Almost forgotten, Cloud trailed behind.

*7*7*

Barret adjusted his pack as best he could with one hand and shouldered his way into the bone-chilling wind outside. It came close to disgusting him how neither Kunsel or Cloud looked affected by the weather. Even Vincent had to rub his arms to keep circulation going.

"Ya know, I've been thinkin'..." Barret shuffled toward Cloud.

"What?"

"Seein' a place like this, it makes ya realize how awesome nature is. But, if anyone ever tol' me ta live here, I'd tell 'em ta... you know..." Barret managed a shrug through his shivering. "I tell ya one thing though. If I did have ta live here I'd change things around 'n' make it better. I guess the total opposite of this'd be... Midgar. When ya think of it tha' way, ShinRa don't seem so bad..." He trailed off as if just realizing what he said. He threw his head back and roared. "What the hell am I sayin'! ShinRa, not bad!"

Kunsel stepped in to save Cloud the trouble of calming Barret down. "Listen up! We're going in two teams. Tifa, Cid, Vincent, you're with me. We'll be going on ahead to clear the way. Everyone else, you're with Cloud."

Yuffie huffed, her breath turning white in front of her face. "I can fight, too, ya know!"

"Yeah, why're we stuck with Spiky?"

Kunsel handed Cloud a rope and five safety harnesses. "Because Cloud's stronger than I am."

*7*7*

The clinic sat in a protected hollow a little separate from the rest of the village. Far enough away so patients wouldn't be disrupted by loud tourists but close enough so those same tourists could easily get there if need be.

As Zack pulled Aerith from the back of the van, an old nurse bundled from head to toe in furs and flannel scurried out to help. She took one look at Aerith's face, the only part visible, and froze. The reaction only lasted a second. Maybe less. Then she was back to business, getting information from the field medic and shooing the two youngsters inside all at once.

Finally, the medic left. The nurse hurried Zack and Aerith into a recovery room and closed the door before silently ordering Zack to set Aerith on the bed. Then she started unwrapping the blankets at an almost frantic pace.

"'Excavating accident,' my eye. I've been a nurse for almost fifty years. Does he take me for an idiot? The doctor may buy it, certainly, but he doesn't have to _see_ the patient." She stood back with arms crossed once Aerith's torn clothing was revealed. "And they didn't even get rid of the evidence. _tch_ Now then." She suddenly turned on Zack, who had the sudden urge to run as far from this tiny woman as he possibly could. "What are you doing with her?"

"I, uh, what? I brought her here!"

"I can see that! But why? Are you her guard? If you plan on turning her over to ShinRa I'm going to have to stop you."

The mental image that sprang to mind amused and terrified him. "No. Believe me, that the last thing I want to do."

She still didn't look entirely convinced. "Fine. But I'll have to ask you to wait outside for a while."

Zack only hesitated a moment. If not for her own confusion, Aerith might have laughed.

That confusion deepened when the nurse's attention came back to her.

"It's been over twenty years, but I'm sure the last time I saw that face the woman it belonged to wasn't nearly so calm."

"Ah... what...?"

The nurse waved off her question. "Of course you aren't the same person. The resemblance is just so uncanny I can't help but think..." There the nurse paused and stared hard at Aerith. "This may sound strange, but does the name Ifalna mean anything to you?"

"Mother?"

* * *

_Another short chapter. Sorry! I have about half a scene more written but this was just such a perfect cut off point. Well, I suppose it isn't that much of a cliffhanger for those who know the story. Still, maybe there will be some new information since there's a person here who knew Aerith's mom._


	79. Holding On

**Chapter Seventy-Eight - Holding On**

Barret muttered and cursed from his position at the back of the line. He understood why, he was big and sturdy and the pick attached to his arm made him almost an ideal anchor. That didn't mean he liked staring at the poofy butt of that moogle Cait insisted on riding.

"Hey!" Yuffie's voice was almost lost in the wind. "Why are we stopping?"

Further up the line, Cloud held himself as close to the cliff face as he could. "There're monsters on the ledge above us! Hold on!"

One of those monsters, a huge mass of toxic foliage that had to have once been a malboro, fell over the edge close enough that Cloud could feel the slick ends of its roots brush by his hair.

Yuffie wasn't so lucky. She didn't need to scream for Cloud to know that she had lost her grip. The rope snapped tight and Cloud tightened his grip.

Mistake.

One of his handholds turned out to be more ice than rock. It shattered in his hand. Before the wind could grab him, he punched through the weakened spot up to his elbow. He held on until he heard Yuffie yell that she was okay. Just above him, one of the rope anchors had come loose. He reached up and drove the point deep into the cliff face. Then he started climbing again.

*7*7*

"There's a cave up ahead!" With the wind building up as they went higher, Kunsel couldn't be sure that anyone heard him. Still, their destination became clear as the dark maw reared over them.

"Whoo!" Cid dropped against the cave wall. "'Bout time we got outta that $*%& wind."

Tifa hesitated to sit until she saw Vincent and Kunsel follow suit. All be it, at a slower pace. "How far back do you think this cave goes?"

"Not sure." Kunsel turned away from the opening. "It looks like it opens up a little ways in."

"Might as well check it out. Better than freezin' our asses off out there."

Tifa shivered and rubbed her arms. "What makes this place so cold?"

"No one knows." Kunsel shrugged. "Though if that legend Holzoff mentioned is right, it could have to do with the meteor that fell ages ago."

"Or was summoned." Vincent's voice got everyone's attention. "The similarity between this event and what the temple wall described seems too great to be merely a coincidence."

Cid pulled out a cigarette and tried to light it. "Sephiroth probably made the same connection, seein' as he's set up housekeepin' on the other side. *&$#&! #$&^* piece o' $&# won't light."

"That might be a good thing. These walls seem to be mostly ice." Kunsel stood up. "I'm going to see how close Cloud's group is."

*7*7*

Aerith's hands shook. She could feel what little blood she had drain from her face. Her mother, her real birth mother, used to live here. Was born here. And her father...

"Dr. Gast was a kind man. We never did learn what he was a doctor of, though apparently it wasn't medicine. He didn't talk about his past and we never asked. Such a gentle soul couldn't do any harm, or so we thought. I still can't imagine what he could have done to bring ShinRa to his doorstep. All I know is that one day some men came to town in uniforms lead by a rather greasy looking fellow. They went into Dr. Gast's house and the next we hear there's a gun shot and poor Ifalna's screaming as those men dragged her away."

"Not after him." Aerith's hands curled into fists around the bedsheets. "Her. And me."

The nurse nodded. "That may well have been part of it, certainly." She smiled knowingly at Aerith. "Your mother's family was well known in this area for their skill at healing. We never needed a doctor here until people started coming for the slopes. Even then most townsfolk continued to go to them for healing. So I was extremely proud of myself when your mother asked me to act as midwife."

"You were there?"

"And you were the most beautiful baby I'd ever seen before or since. Peaceful, too. We almost worried there might be something wrong, you cried so very little."

"I wish... I remembered more."

The nurse smiled as Aerith's eyes began to drift closed. "The house isn't far from here. Perhaps later you can go see it."

"Hmm. Per'aps."

*7*7*

Just standing around didn't suit Zack at all. For a while he tried doing squats, but that just seemed to annoy people. Particularly this one guy about Zack's age with a casts on both legs and a look that would kill a dragon. At that point Zack decided he better just walk up and down the hall if he wanted to avoid becoming a patient.

Good thing, too. Maybe six paces from the waiting room he heard an unfamiliar voice.

"I do _not_ need a physical! I had two high potions yesterday and a potion this morning. I'm _fine_."

"But, ma'am, you rolled head first into a rock. It's standard proceedure for serious trauma..."

"'Serious' is what I'm going to do to those AVALANCHE bastards when I get my hands on them! We have a job to do and Turks... HEY! LET GO!"

"I-I'm sorry, but you may have a concussion. I'm under orders to see to your well being as well as complete the mission."

Zack backtracked down the hall as fast as he could without scaring anyone. He had to get Aerith out of here.

"Aeri-!"

The nurse glared daggers through his brain. "_She's sleeping._ Now what's so important that you came barging in here like a mad elfadunk?"

Zack swallowed. "ShinRa. Is there a back way out of here?"

"There's always a back way." The nurse waved toward the door in a clear sign of dismissal. "There should be wheelchairs in the closet across the hall. I'll see if I can't get something to bundle her up in."

Zack nodded and did as he was told. The wheelchair wasn't hard to find, though it took a little maneuvering (and far more noise than he liked) to disentangle it from its neighbors. He still had to wait several anxious minutes for the nurse to return. During which time he heard the female Turk being escorted to an exam room. Apparently someone thought to put her in restraints.

So when the latch clicked open Zack (and his heart rate) almost went through the roof.

The nurse stepped into the room and thrust a coat into Zack's arms. "I found something that should fit you. Must've left your own at Bone Village, eh?"

"Uh... I... don't own a jacket."

"Well, now you do." She looked at him sideways as she walked past. "Head into the bathroom while I dress Aerith."

Zack sat and sweated in that coat waiting to be let out. Finally, the nurse called him. His first thought was that Aerith made flannel adorable. It didn't even bother him that it wasn't pink, though light purple was kind of close.

"Stop staring and move. Weren't you in a hurry?"

"Oh. Right." Zack check the hall before letting the nurse lead the way.

*7*7*

_Fire. Screaming. Death._

_Running away. Light, then dark. Ruins. Cracked earth._

_Death._

_Someone moving. Familiar. Safe._

_"Mother."_

_She ran forward. Familiar arms, scent, voice..._

_Wrong._

_Wet, seeping, pushing through skin._

_She looked up. Brown eyes turned glowing yellow. Skin turned death grey. Jaws split and stretched._

_She screamed as darkness took her._

*7*7*

How long did she stay in the void? Something wrapped around her, pulled at her. Muscular arms, broad chest covered in rough knit, and a scent that reminded her of long hours spent tending her flowers. Laughing over something silly. Waiting. Years of waiting to finally be held like this, wrapped in his warmth.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Za-ack."

"Shhh. It's okay." Rough but gentle hands stroked her back. "It's okay."

"No. It's not. Something... terrible happened."

Zack froze for a moment but then continued stroking. "A dream?"

"A memory. I think... the planet... the Cetra... they found something."

"Yeah. When you're feeling up to it, there's something I should show you."

* * *

_I bet most of you can guess what Zack has to show Aerith. Ah... How many screens did I manage this time? Four? Well, I guess it'll do. Next chapter may or may not be significantly shorter since I'll be rather occupied helping my family out next week. That, and the internet connection out there reeks. DSL + old farm house + middle of nowhere = frustrated webaholic._


	80. Planting the Seed

**Chapter Seventy-Nine - Planting the Seed**

The caves were surprisingly well lit past the first chamber. Maybe not so surprising considering the crevices full of Lifestream they crossed from time to time. Kunsel suggested that the areas of ice that seemed to glow were veins leading down to those flows.

In any case, the caves were relatively comfortable, when monsters weren't popping out of dark corners. So when one passageway lead back outside more than one member of the party complained. Loudly.

Cid looked up at the sky and swore. "We're still on the same $&*^ side!"

"At least we're higher than we were before." Cloud took one glance over the edge and started tightening his harness.

Kunsel nodded. "Same thing as before. My team will clear the way and Cloud's team will come up behind."

"And no throwing monsters at us this time!" Yuffie just about stuck her finger up Kunsel's nose.

Kunsel sighed rather than answer Yuffie directly.

Cloud'd team shivered just inside the cave waiting for the last of Kunsel's team to climb high enough for them to start.

Most of them shivered.

Yuffie glared at Cloud. "Why aren't you freezing like the rest of us?"

"Yeah. I'm wond'rin' 'bout that too."

"I'm... not really sure."

Nanaki cleared his throat. "This discussion would probably be best left until we aren't a few hundred feet in the air."

*7*7*

Professor Gast, a short, balding man in a lab coat, fiddled with various dials and switches until the picture came up mostly clear. "Camera's ready! Then, Ifalna, please tell us about the Cetra."

Ifalna, a shy-looking woman in a flowing red dress, crossed her hands in front of her as she spoke. "Two thousand years ago, our ancestors, the Cetra, heard the cries of the planet. The first ones to discover the planet's wound were the Cetra at the Knowlespole."

"Tell us Ifalna," Gast made a note in a small book, "where is the land called 'Knowlespole'?"

"Knowlespole refers to this area. The Cetra then began a planet-reading."

Gast's eyebrows went up. "Ifalna, what exactly does planet-reading entail?"

Ifalna's gaze fell to her left. "...I can't explain it very well, but it's like having a conversation with the planet... It said something fell from the sky making a large wound.

_Fire. Screaming. Death._

"Thousands of Cetra pulled together, trying to heal the planet... But, due to the severity of the wound, it was only able to heal itself over many years."

"Do the Ancients, rather, the Cetra, have special powers to heal the planet?" Gast seemed unusually excited.

Ifalna shook her head. "No, it's not that kind of power. The life force of all living things on this planet becomes energy. The Cetra tried desperately to cultivate the land so as not to diminish the needed energy..."

"Hmm," Gast rubbed the side of his chin in thought. "Even here so close to the Northern Cave, the snow never melts. Is that because the planet's energy is gathered here to heal its injury?"

Ifalna's head drooped further. "Yes, the energy that was needed to heal the planet withered away the land... then the planet... The planet tried to persuade the Cetra to leave Knowlespole, but..."

He sighed. "Ifalna... Let's take a break."

"I'm all right." She tried to smile. "When the Cetra... were preparing to part with the land they loved..." She turned away, her gaze distant. "That's when it appeared! It looked like... our... our dead mothers... and our dead brothers. Showing us specters of the past."

_Familiar arms, scent, voice..._

"Who appeared at the Northern Cave? I haven't any idea. That's when the one who injured the planet... or the 'crisis from the sky', as we call it, came." Tears dripped down her cheeks and she tried to hid them behind her hands. "It first approached as a friend, deceived them, and finally... gave them the virus."

Gast looked on in slowly growing horror as Ifalna's story continued.

"The Cetra were attacked by the virus and went mad... transforming into monsters."

_Brown eyes turned glowing yellow. Skin turned death grey. Jaws split and stretched._

She sank to the floor. "Then, just as it had at the Knowlespole, it spread to other Cetra clans... infecting them..."

Gast helped Ifalna to her feet. "You don't look well... Let's call it a day." He steadied her before going back to the console to turn off the camera.

*7*7*

Gast took a lot less time adjusting the camera this time. "Ifalna, can you comment on the thing called 'Weapon'?"

"Yes, Professor." Ifalna stood and walked over to him. "The one the Professor mistook for a Cetra... and named Jenova. That is the 'crisis from the sky.' The planet knew it had to destroy the 'crisis from the sky'... You see, as long as Jenova exists, the planet will never be able to fully heal itself."

Gast nodded, trying to hide his shock behind his notebook. "Back then, Weapon was a weapon the planet produced of its own will?"

"Yes, but..." Ifalna glanced to her right. "There is no record of Weapon ever being used. A small number of the surviving Cetra defeated Jenova, and confined it. The planet produced Weapon... But it was no longer necessary to use it."

"So, Weapon no longer exists on the planet?"

Ifalna shook her head. "Weapon cannot vanish. ...It remains asleep somewhere on the planet. Even though Jenova is confined, it could come back to life at some time... The planet has not fully healed itself yet. It is still watching Jenova."

"Where is Weapon?"

"I don't know..." Ifalna stepped away. Suddenly she seemed very tired. "I can't hear the voice of the planet well... Times... have changed. The planet... is probably watching this situation closely."

As Ifalna rubbed her eyes Gast turned away. He held his head and shook it in obvious disgust. "...Thank you, Ifalna, that will be all for today."

*7*7*

"What are you doing, Profes... I mean, honey?"

"Oh, I'm thinking of taping it on video. But, the video's not working right..."

"What are you going to tape? Is there still something I haven't mentioned?"

"No, that's not it. I'm going to record my beautiful daughter. And when she's sleeping, her face... looks like an angel."

"First, we have to figure out her name. We can take the video later!"

"I've already decided! 'If it's a girl, then it'll be Aerith.' That's that!"

"You are _so_ selfish! But Aerith is a good name! Hee hee... it's a good name, considering it came out of that forgetful head of yours!"

"Right! Oh, the video tape..."

*7*7*

Ifalna leaned over Gast's shoulder as he fiddled with the camera controls. "Video again? You just got through taping!"

"Please don't say it that way." Still, he smiled. "It's our lovely daughter, both yours and mine! Don't you want to capture her childhood on videotape?"

"If you keep doting on her like that, she won't grow up to be strong..." Ifalna crossed her arms, her expression caught between amusement and worry. "Aerith is different from the other children. I wonder what dangers await her?"

Gast's eyes widened. "Never say that! I will protect you and Aerith no matter what! You and Aerith are my only treasures. I'll never let you go!"

Ifalna smiled weakly. "I feel so much better now, darling. If I hadn't met you, I..."

Gast interrupted her with what was almost a passionate kiss. Promptly interrupted by the doorbell.

"Who could that? I was just about to..." Gast slapped his own hand over his mouth. He coughed as he tried to recover some dignity. "Damn! How dare they intrude on our 'private time' together! I'll send them away."

Ifalna nodded. "Yes, at once! Who the devil?" Odd noises outside drew her to the door ahead of her husband. The sight through the peephole sent her running to the relative safety of Gast's back. "It, it's them!"

An infantryman kicked down the door, allowing Hojo to step into the room. He cackled when he saw Ifalna peaking out from behind Gast. "I've been searching for you, Ifalna... or should I say, Cetra! Long time no see, Professor Gast!"

Gast frown. "Hojo... How did you know?"

Hojo loosely waved off the question. "Believe me, I had to turn over a stone or two to find you." His smile could curdle fresh milk. "Two years I waited. That's how much I wanted this new sample." He started cackling again as both Gast and Ifalna turned pale.

"...New sample?" Gast took a step back. "You don't mean Aerith!" Suddenly, he ran forward, grabbing Hojo by the lab coat.

Though his infantry guards readied their guns, Hojo seemed unconcerned. "Hmm, Aerith? What a nice name."

Gast stepped away, both to get away from the guns and the cackling. He held his head as he tried to think of some way out. "That's it! I'm severing all ties with the Shinra. Hojo, please leave."

That couldn't possibly work and Ifalna knew it. She stepped in front of Hojo and knelt. "Please, Aerith has nothing to do with it! All you want is me, right?"

"Ifalna!"

Hojo ignored his former superior. "I'll need all of you for my experiment." He turned to Gast."You understand, don't you, Professor Gast? We can change the future of the planet!"

Gast knelt at Ifalna's side, holding her. "Don't worry, Ifalna. I'll take care of this!"

"Please don't put up a fight. I don't want any harm to come to my precious sample." Hojo glanced up. "Mmm? What a funny looking camera. Guard! Destroy it!"

The infantryman closest to the camera turned and shot out the lens but not the microphone.

"Be careful with her! Ha, ha, ha..."

Someone threw a punch.

"Wh... what are you doing, Professor!"

"Ifalna! Take Aerith and run!"

A gunshot, and a scream. "Darling...!"

"Oh, and uh... don't forget the child!"

"Hmm, a video? The Ancients... Weapon! _cackle_ A mountain of treasure! Thank you, Professor... _cackle_"

* * *

_I debated with myself over using 'Knowlespole.' It's obviously a serious misspelling of 'North Pole' but then again, wouldn't Professor Gast know where the north pole of his own planet is? So I'm assuming that the misspelling, and probable mispronunciation, is in-universe, too. Maybe a corruption after so many centuries and a language shift or two?_


	81. The Wound

**Chapter Eighty - The Wound**

"Mom. Dad." Aerith's hands shook under Zack's. "I had no idea."

Zack pulled her closer. "I'm sorry. If it's too much..."

"It's not that... I knew... my father was dead. That Hojo killed... And what Mother said... about Jenova... Weapon..." Aerith gasped, her eyes fixed on a point somewhere beyond the ceiling. "What? I don't... Threat... No... Don't..."

"Aerith?"

"Too close. If it's summoned... Weapon will wake."

Zack cocked his head to one side. "Isn't that a good thing? I mean, Weapon is something the planet made to defeat Jenova."

"No... Control is... difficult. Rage... Pain... Last resort..." She sucked in a breath as her body snapped straight.

"Aerith!" Zack jumped in front of her, his hands on her shoulders. "Wake up! Aerith!"

"Za...ack?" Her pupils dilated even as her focus slowly returned to the room. "Stop it. You have to stop it."

*7*7*

Cid spat. "More o' this &$*^ cliff. If I didn't know better, I'd think there wasn't any top to it."

"Yeah." Kunsel stuck his head out of the cave. "This might be a good time to switch up the groups." He turned back and considered the arrangement for a moment. "Vincent, Nanaki, switch out with Cid and Tifa.

They nodded and proceeded to unbuckle themselves. Cloud bent down to help Nanaki out of his harness.

And nearly ran his head into Tifa's breasts when he stood up.

"Oh!"

"Uh..." Cloud ducked away, looking for something, anything, to distract himself. He grabbed a harness and started helping Tifa into it. At least, until it came to adjusting the buckles.

"Hey! Ya gonna strap her in or stare at her rack?"

Barret reached over Cait to smack Cid in the head. "Watch what ya say 'bout her!"

Face red as a beet, Cloud shuffled back to his spot at the head of the line. For the first time during the climb he was thankful that Yuffie was the one immediately behind him. Aside from complaining about the cold, she hadn't called up the energy to say much for the last couple hours.

Tifa finished adjusting her harness before following Cloud out of the cave. Maybe it was the freezing wind or the height that put even Mount Nibel to shame, but she couldn't help but feel a certain impending dread as she watched his back.

*7*7*

Nanaki sniffed around the body of the last monster they killed. "Strange."

"You mean besides even monsters being able to live up here?" Kunsel checked along the ledge for a good place to start climbing again. He pulled a bright red flag out of a pocket in his harness and started pushing it into the rock belong the spot he picked.

"The last several monsters have smelled progressively more of Lifestream. As the Lifestream normally resides deep within the earth it seems strange that there would be more the higher we go."

Vincent pointed to the cliff face. "There are anomalies that look much like veins of mako crystals here as well. I did not see such when we where below."

"The wind's worse up here, so the rock is probably more eroded. These veins might reach further down but we can't see them under the rock." Kunsel shrugged. "Or the impact two-thousand years ago threw up veins that had previously been far underground."

"Or both." Vincent squinted into the wind. "We should get moving."

Kunsel climbed high enough so he could pull Nanaki up with Vincent lifting from below. As soon as they were sure Nanaki had a good grip on the cliff face with all four feet Kunsel started climbing again.

"I think I see another cave!"

Nanaki huffed. "I'm sure Cid will be happy to hear that."

*7*7*

Cid took a long drag on his cigarette. "Much as I appreciate the break, wouldn't it be faster ta climb past the caves?"

"Ya ain't stuck behind this thin' the whole time, so shut yer trap!" Barret poked Cait's moogle with his pick-hand.

"Hey! Watch it! I'm not happy with bein' blown around outside either!" Cait flattened his ears and pressed his chin into the top of his moogle. If he had tear ducts he almost certainly would have started crying. "It's a terrifyin' experience, and tied up like this I can barely move!"

"At least you can't freeze to death! The Great Ninja, Yuffie Kisaragi, defeated by a stupid mountain! I won't allow it! HEY!"

Cloud barely seemed to notice that Yuffie walked into him. "Ahead."

"Hn." Kunsel pulled out his sword.

A pained groan echoed through the tunnel. Tapping followed, unsteady footsteps until a black shape appeared near a wide spot.

Kunsel shifted his stance. "A copy. Guess that means we're on the right path, at least."

Nanaki wrinkled his nose and bared his teeth. "His scent is strange. I recommend against approaching him."

"Do you see a way aro-WHOA!" Kunsel almost tripped over Nanaki in his haste to get away from the copy.

Rather, what it was becoming. Black ichor spewed from its mouth as it's body swelled. It's original head elongated, shooting out of the cloak on snake-like neck. A second head and neck burst out of the right shoulder. Claws and scales ripped through what remained of the copy's clothing.

Vincent kept his gaze fixed on the creature as he checked that his gun was fully loaded.

"We gonna attack tha' thing or wha'?" Even so, Barret took several steps back.

"I'd rather make sure it isn't going to sprout any more limbs, first. Duck!" Kunsel pulled Nanaki down with him. Flames blew inches above their heads.

Cloud pushed Tifa and Yuffie against the wall, keeping his own body between them and the monster. Yuffie struggled to free her shuriken from her harness.

Three shots rang through the tunnel followed by the monster roaring in pain. Though Vincent had hit both heads in the eye, the damage seemed minimal.

It roared and the ground shook. Stone spikes shot through the walls and floor at random angles.

"AAH!"

"Cloud!"

"$*&^% this." Cid dug through his coat until he found a stick of dynamite. He held the fuse up to his cigarette until it started to sizzle. "Fire in the hole!"

Cloud pulled a broken piece of rock out of his side before pulling Tifa and Yuffie down under him.

Vincent fired again, not moving despite the wave of ice breathed at him. Nanaki managed to cast magic barrier just before the blast hit. Even so, Vincent nearly dropped his gun from the cold stabbing at his joints.

Cid's dynamite nearly blew the head that breathed fire off. Only a thin layer of muscle and skin kept it from falling to the floor.

"Ugh! Quit it! I can fight!" Yuffie noticed something damp seeping through her mittens. "EW! You're bleeding on me!"

Barret roared in frustration. He grabbed a nearby piece of rock and threw it. "If I had my gun-arm ye'd be dead!"

"Cloud!" Tifa tried to hold him back from standing. "Does anyone have cure?"

Kunsel held out his left hand while trying to maintain a defensive stance. The magic tingled over Cloud's body, healing the wound if not the hole in his coat and shirt.

Cloud gently pulled Tifa's hand off his arm. "I'm fine." He stepped back and unbuckled the guide rope from his harness.

The monster roared as Vincent shot another bullet through the tough skin of its neck.

Cloud managed to pull the Buster Sword free. He rested his forehead against the flat side before spinning it over his head. He jumped as high as the tunnel would let him and swung down. Three flaming balls shot from the blade straight at the monster. They exploded on impact, setting vast areas of flesh on fire.

Yuffie all but jumped on Cloud when he landed. "No fair! I wanted a shot at it!"

"Uh... Sorry?"

Kunsel pinched the bridge of his nose. "Let's just rest here a moment before going on. It'll probably take a little while for the remains to completely dissipate, anyway."

*7*7*

When Aerith woke again she didn't want to open her eyes. Her head felt too full. Yet, even with her eyes shut, she could tell exactly where Zack was. To her left, just within arm's reach, his bright presence soothing and warm.

Slowly, she opened her eyes and smiled. Zack sat painfully still next to her bed with his eyes closed in concentration. The very idea of Zack trying so hard not to move almost made her laugh.

"What are you doing?"

Zack scrunched up his face. "Trying to find Cloud. If he's still with everyone they must be getting very close to where Sephiroth is."

"Hmm. I guess that's both good and bad."

"Yeah." Zack let out a long breath and slumped forward. "Hey, uh, do you... remember what happened after we watched the videos?"

Aerith nodded weakly. "I'm sorry. I must have scared you."

"It's not your fault. Just..." He rubbed the back of his head. "What was that? I've seen you space out, but that wasn't like anything before."

"The planet's pain..." Aerith took a deep breath. "I felt some of it. Suffering like that for so long... I can't imagine... Zack, you have to go. They don't know about Weapon. If it wakes they could be killed."

"What about you?"

"I'm not going anywhere."

*7*7*

Kunsel pulled his head back in from the howling wind. "I've got good news and bad news. Good news is I can see the top."

"Oh, I can't _wait_ ta hear the bad news." Cid snubbed out his cigarette on the tunnel wall before sliding it back in the box.

"Bad news, the rock doesn't quite look stable from here up."

Barret frowned. "Wha', so we came all this way fer nothin'? Wha' 'bout stoppin' Sephiroth an' savin' the planet?"

"I'll do it." Cloud stepped forward. "I'll climb up and find a spot to anchor the rope so everyone can follow safely."

Kunsel handed over the remaining anchors, carabiners, and extra lengths of rope. "You're sure about this?"

"I grew up in the mountains." Still, Cloud looked apprehensive for maybe a second while he surveyed the cliff.

The climb wasn't particularly long. A little difficult, as he had to go around spots where the rock had rotted away, but not long. So he still had breath to be taken away when he reached the top.

Rolling mist completely filled the crater except for the very center where a jagged ring of rock rose above the fog. A wall of swirling wind that rose like a pillar holding up the sky kept the mists back from the spraying geyser of Lifestream inside the stone ring. High above, the northern aurora lit up the evening sky like the Lifestream's mirror image.

Cloud felt a pull toward that geyser but remained at the lip of the crater to secure the rope for everyone to follow him.

Tifa was the first one up. Even while helping Cloud with the rope she couldn't help but stare at the spectacle behind them. Once everyone had safely climbed, or been pulled, up, she finally voiced what had been running through her mind that whole time.

"How is so much Lifestream gathered in one place?"

"Sephiroth said something about the planet gathering energy when it's wounded." Kunsel sat down to repack the climbing gear. "If this crater really was formed two thousand years ago, it must have been a serious injury."

Cloud stared into the distance. "Sephiroth took that energy and is trying to use Meteor. Next time the wound won't be so small."

"Ya call this 'small?' Damn. Guess we better hurry the &*$^ up." Even so, Cid took a moment to make sure he could light a cigarette.

The slope down to the crater floor was walkable, if a little unsteady. Especially when a seemingly solid rock turned out to be anything but. Cloud, Tifa, and Kunsel had little difficulty, but some of the others did. Particularly Cait and his awkwardly mobile ride.

Despite the rough terrain they made good time down the crater. They were maybe a little more than halfway down when Cloud spotted a dark figure bent over a rock a few yards ahead.

"Another copy." Cloud reached back for Zack's sword.

The copy shuddered as he tried to stand. "...b, back... to... Seph... i...roth..." The last sound came out as more of a gasp as he collapsed.

Kunsel took a step to the side. "Nanaki, does he smell like the last one?"

"No." Nanaki made a sound like he was trying to sneeze. "He smells dead."

Sure enough, as they started moving forward again, the body dissolved into pyreflies.

They entered the mist soon after that.

* * *

_Hmm. Was this satisfying? I'm honestly not sure how I'm going to handle some key scenes that are coming up. I thought that Zack would be around for some of them, I was kind of counting on it, actually. Then he decides to stay behind with Aerith! It's in character and all, but how am I supposed to get him caught up with the group? If nothing else, I know I can't have him sitting around Icicle Inn even if he is worried about Aerith._

_I rather wonder about the size of the crater, too. It can't be as big as it's shown on the map, they wouldn't be able to see the other side in the cutscene. But I can't really judge distance in that cutscene, either. Advent Children isn't all that clear, either, other than the inner ring being big. maybe the width of a city block or two? It's so foggy and indistinct and I'm really not the best person to try to judge relative sizes to begin with. (How big is a ShinRa helicopter, exactly? About 40 feet total from nose to tail tip? I don't think I've ever seen any official stats on that thing.)_


	82. Eye of the Storm

**Chapter Eighty-One - Eye of the Storm**

The nurse tip-toed down the stairs to the bedroom. "Asleep again? I thought I heard you two talking a moment ago."

"Yeah. She keeps overexerting herself." Zack bent over, covering his head with his hands. "I can't stay here. I have to find our friends. But I don't want to leave her, either."

"And what good do you think you'll do sitting here worrying? Go. Shoo. And when you find those friends of yours, bring them here. A few more familiar faces may do her some good."

Zack hesitated at the foot of the stairs. "You'll take care of her while I'm gone, right?"

"Of course! I can't let someone so helpless fend for herself. Now run along. The sooner you find your friends the sooner you can come back."

Zack smiled and left. Outside, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the cold, fresh air in hopes that it would clear his head a little. He needed some way of catching up with everyone, fast. Preferably without getting spotted by ShinRa.

Just standing and thinking wasn't getting him anywhere. If nothing else, he had to find out just how many people ShinRa has stationed there.

Several minutes later he noticed a guard near the inn talking to someone on the phone about a couple of AWOL troopers. That in itself wasn't enough to keep Zack's attention except the guard stopped abruptly and looked at the phone's screen. Then he muttered, "He's here," before running toward the main road.

Curious, Zack followed him, though he soon didn't need to. The roar of engines spinning huge propellers quickly became apparent even to those without mako in their systems.

Zack ducked behind a large post while the troopers prepared boxes of equipment to move onto the airship. From the ground it seemed like the deck was completely deserted.

"Just like that first mission with Cloud." Which hadn't ended well at all. He decided not to think about that.

Sneaking around to the side of the airship proved easy enough. There were only five troopers visible and all of them were busy loading boxes into the airship. Zack could only hope the deck really was deserted as he jumped.

He caught the railing easily. Hanging for a moment to make sure the coast was, in fact, clear, he hauled himself up the rest of the way.

"They probably didn't expect anyone to be able to get up here." Zack laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Just like old times. I'm even talking to myself."

The deck offered little in the way of shelter, though. Above loomed the main engine housing and fuel tanks, along with propellers and other things Zack couldn't identify but probably had something to do with steering. In the wall ahead of him sat a door, probably leading down into the main body of the airship. Everywhere else was open space. Not even a coil of rope to secure him to the railing.

Zack weighed his options, as few as they were, before deciding to wedge himself as tight as possible between the bulkhead and the railing at the forward end of the deck. At least in that position he'd be able to hear anyone coming before they had a chance to spot him.

He probably should have waited until take off to get settled. By the time the propellers warmed up, he was stiff and aching to move.

*7*7*

The ground inside the inner ring was easier to see thanks to the wall of wind keeping the fog out. Unfortunately, there was a lot less ground to see. Spires of rock and crumbling ridges provided the only way deeper into the crater.

By this point, it had become obvious to everyone that Cloud was not only taking the lead, but seemed to know exactly where he was going.

The implications became all the more disturbing when they passed a cluster of spires. From there they could see a long line of cloaked figures trudging away from them. Once in a while one would collapse or throw himself off the ridge into the Lifestream far below.

"Why are they doing that?" Yuffie looked around, but the rest of the group was moving on without her. "Hey! What's going on?"

Tifa pulled Yuffie close. "Not now."

No one else said anything. The further they walked the less ground there was to walk on. Glowing tendrils of mist rose from the depths, casting everything in an unearthly shade of green.

Then they heard Cloud gasp. Looking up, they saw two cloaked figures kneel before Sephiroth.

Sephiroth raised his sword. "This is the end for all of you." A single strike sent both figures tumbling toward the Lifestream.

"Sephiroth!"

Everyone barely had time to react before Cloud ran up to within a few feet of their enemy. Yet Sephiroth didn't react at all.

Cloud reached back and drew Zack's sword. "This is the end!"

"You're right. This is the end of this body's usefulness." Sephiroth's body seemed to pulse and the area plunged into darkness. The shadows cleared only partially, just enough to see that a pulsating stream of purple smoke rose from where Sephiroth had stood.

Cloud gripped the sword tighter. "Where is he?"

"He might still be nearby..." Tifa's voice trailed off as she moved to cover Yuffie.

_"Our purpose is to deliver the Black Materia to our master."_

"Our?" Cloud looked around, trying to find the source of the voice.

Cid kept his eyes on Cloud. "Hey, what's goin' on?"

More jets of smoke appeared. _"Those who carry Jenova's cells..."_

"Master...?" Cloud shook his head. He had to remain calm. He had to stay himself.

_"Of course... Sephiroth."_

Sephiroth's laugh echoed in Cloud's head as he stumbled. Dropping Zack's sword, Cloud clutched his head, trying to will the voices to stop.

Unknown to him, the shadows lifted and Sephiroth appeared in the air behind them. Swooping down, Sephiroth knocked everyone aside before disappearing again. Only this time a chunk of flesh took his place. As everyone slowly recovered, the flesh grew into a monster now familiar to all of them.

"Not again!" Barret raised his gunarm. "Cloud! Git yer spiky ass in gear!"

Jenova's mouth split open, showering Cloud in red light.

"Cloud!" Tifa ran forward, only to get knocked back by the same attack.

Bullets, both from Barret and Vincent, peppered Jenova's hide with little effect.

Yuffie ducked in under the barrage with her shuriken.

Moments after she threw it, Jenova released a howling wind laced with flame. The force threw her off the edge of the ridge.

Her scream cut short when she collided with something red and furry.

"Nanaki!" Yuffie scrambled to get a grip on his hide.

They landed briefly on the tip of a stone spire. It crumbled away as Nanaki launched himself and Yuffie back into the air. Two more jumps brought them within a yard of the path.

Only by then Nanaki had lost momentum. He dug his claws into the rock but could only barely keep hold on the rotting surface.

Cid appeared above them. "I got them! Cait! Cover me!" He lowered the grip end of his spear. "Grab hold!"

"With what?"

"I dunno, yer teeth? Just make sure not to let go!"

Kunsel drove his sword up to the hilt in Jenova's side. Pushing, he managed to open a long wound across to it's back.

It wasn't enough.

On the other side, Cloud gripped Zack's sword. He had to move. Or at least stand.

He saw gloved fists and long legs strike at Jenova. Brown hair twirled along with a spinning kick. Just as quickly, Jenova struck out with that firey wind.

"TIFA!" Cloud ran to catch her.

They collided with each other, skidding along the path before stopping inches from the edge.

Tifa jumped off of him the moment they stopped. "Cloud! Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He stood a little more slowly, making sure he had complete control of his movements.

Yuffie ran past them. She ducked and weaved through the fighting until she spotted her shuriken lodged between two boulders just behind Jenova.

Barely had she pulled it free than Jenova screamed. The flesh construct deteriorated into lumpy ooze that dribbled down the sides of the ridge.

"Ew, gross. Do all these Jenova-things do that?"

Kunsel wiped his sword off on his pants. "So far. Is everyone all right?"

While everyone either nodded or voiced a positive, Nanaki pointed his nose toward where Jenova had been. "There's something there."

"The black materia." Cloud stepped forward only to find Kunsel's arm blocking his way.

"No offense, but I don't think it'd be a good idea for you to pick it up."

Cloud looked down and stepped away.

Kunsel hesitated before picking the materia up. "Looks like I was right about Sephiroth appearing through his copies."

Cid pulled out a cigarette. "Well good for you. That doesn't tell us where Sephiroth really is, though."

"He's here." Cloud turned away, looking further down the broken path. "The real Sephiroth is just beyond here. There's an incredibly strong will deep within the planet's wound."

Barret waved his gunarm. "So we defeat Sephiroth an' then we can deal with ShinRa! A'right! What're we waitin' for?"

"We'd better not take the Black Materia any further." Tifa glanced up at Kunsel. "Someone should stay here and guard it, right?"

Not that anyone looked ready to volunteer.

"Cloud, who would you pick?"

"Huh?" Cloud stared at Kunsel. "I... Nanaki."

"You want me to take the black materia?" Nanaki lowered his head in what could have been resignation or recognition of an honor. "All right. I understand."

Kunsel secured the materia inside a pocket on Nanaki's climbing harness. "Don't give it to _anyone_. We're counting on you." He looked up at the rest of the group. "Cloud and I will scout ahead to see how much farther we have to go. The rest of you stay here and back up Nanaki in case Sephiroth sends something after the materia."

Tifa stepped next to Cloud. "I'm coming, too."

"You can't. It's too dangerous." Cloud tried to move away, but found it difficult with how close he was to the edge.

"Staying here is dangerous. And what if you run into the real Sephiroth before you can call the others? I want to see him pay for what he did to Nibelheim."

Cloud looked to Kunsel, who shook his head.

"There's no point arguing. Let's just hope we _don't_ run into Sephiroth."

*7*7*

As soon as Zack realized that he wouldn't get blown off the deck if he stood up, he ran from one end to the other and back. Then he started doing squats. He lost count somewhere around 200 long before he noticed the airship start to descend.

Looking over the side, he saw fog and what looked like a column of wind. The later all but disappeared as the airship dipped below the fog layer. The moment Zack could see what he hoped was solid ground, he jumped.

The ground turned out a bit closer than he anticipated. And sloped. He rolled a short way before recovering. He dusted himself off after making sure he didn't have any injuries.

Even for him, navigating through the fog proved difficult. At times he had to rely almost entirely on his 'Jenova radar,' using his sense of touch mostly so he wouldn't fall off a cliff or run into a wall. Eventually, he spotted a pool of green light up ahead.

That pool of light turned out to be vapors from a pool of Lifestream. From the cliff above, Zack could see other pools and large mako crystals.

He also heard a distinctive feminine cackle rising from somewhere in the mist. He ducked back and followed the line of the cliff hoping he could find a spot where he could get down to the field of crystals.

He wondered if ShinRa knew that Sephiroth lay somewhere beyond that field.

* * *

_I thought about trying to fit the next key scene into this chapter, but I really want to give it the detail it deserves. So, next chapter. It's going to be a doozy._

_Somehow, I don't think dumping all those bodies full of Jenova cells into the Lifestream is going to be particularly good for the planet in the long run._


	83. How To Break a Life

Well, I feel stupid. This was supposed to be up this morning, but I completely zoned. Maybe I can blame lack of sleep...

* * *

**Chapter Eighty-Two - How To Break a Life**

Kunsel frowned at the second wall of wind blocking their path. "I think I have the pattern down. Ready?"

Cloud and Tifa nodded.

"Right. On three. One. Two... Three!"

For a moment, Tifa's hair stood on end as they narrowly avoided a lightning strike. Yet they somehow managed to get to the other side unharmed.

"There's more land up ahead."

Kunsel took a deep breath. "That's a relief. I really don't want to find out what a mako bath feels like."

"But you're in SOLDIER." Tifa frowned. "Isn't that part of the procedure?"

"Not when I joined. I don't know what they do to the new guys."

They made it most of the way to the larger platform when the world seemed to go white.

Tifa instinctively put her hands out in front of her, only to find that she couldn't see them. "What is this? What happened?"

"Sephiroth."

Kunsel snorted. "I'm probably stating the obvious, but _don't move_."

Gradually, their vision came back, only the scene in front of them was not what it had been before.

Fire. Destruction. Smoke. Death.

"Nibelheim..." Tifa covered her face with her hands.

Cloud stepped a little closer to her. "It's all right, Tifa. It's just an illusion. Sephiroth is trying to confuse us. But as long as we know it's an illusion, there's nothing to be afraid of."

Kunsel glanced at Cloud. "You aren't familiar with virtual reality, are you."

Before Cloud could respond, the scene changed again. They now stood in the lab under the mansion. Green light washed over everything from two pods at the far side of the room. Besides the mako, both pods were empty.

Cloud stepped into the middle of the room. "Sephiroth! What are you trying to say? I already know what happened back then. I remember it. The heat of the fire... the pain in my body... and in my heart!"

A low chuckle made them all jump. Sephiroth stood behind them in the doorway to the library.

"Is that so? You're just a puppet. You have no heart... and cannot feel any pain... How can there be any meaning in the memory of such a being?"

Cloud turned several shades paler but still managed to glare at Sephiroth. "But this is my memory. This _is_ what happened. You destroyed Nibelheim. You killed Mom. You almost killed Tifa and Zack. Then Zack and I were taken by Hojo and experimented on for four years."

"But how much of that do you actually remember?" Sephiroth took a single step forward, sending both Tifa and Kunsel skittering away. "How do you know how much time passed?"

The sound of glass shattering snapped Cloud's attention away from Sephiroth. His eyes widened as he watched Zack stumble out of his pod only to fall face first onto the broken glass covering the floor.

Even as Cloud started toward his friend the door to the lab opened. A timid looking man in a lab coat darted over to the prone figure but hesitated to touch him with all the mako vapor rising from his body. That distraction was all Zack needed. He jumped up and punched the lab assistant in the jaw. Even Cloud could see that the punch was sloppy, from almost anyone else it would hardly be enough to daze.

The lab assistant crumpled to the floor.

Zack stumbled drunkenly toward Cloud's pod. He leaned against the release switch until the mako fully drained and Cloud's limp body fell into his arms.

"Such a simple escape." Sephiroth half-smiled as one mako-drenched man dragged the other toward the door. "Yet it took four years to accomplish?"

"It was so easy because they waited four years!" Kunsel immediately wished he hadn't said anything as Sephiroth pinned him with a hooded gaze.

Then Sephiroth chuckled. "Is that so? You make it sound deliberate." His attention turned back to Cloud. "Was it? Were either of you aware that such a long time had passed?"

Cloud's jaw worked as if he were trying to speak but couldn't quite find the words.

Tifa tried to back away only to find a bookshelf blocking her. "Cloud! Don't answer him!"

"Cloud? So that's what you're calling yourself. How fitting. If you won't answer, then perhaps Zack will."

The world flashed white again. When their vision returned they stood on a broken spit of land surrounded on three sides by a series of sinkholes that could have swallowed a small village. And had if the bits and pieces of houses and furniture scattered about were any indication. Another Cloud, this time wearing a SOLDIER First uniform, sat limply in a slat-back chair under a twisted apple tree. Another man in a red coat slept propped against one side of the chair. Zack stood near them, apparently reading a letter.

Zack looked up, the apple he'd been holding in his other hand slipped out of his grasp. "Four years?" His eyes widened and he turned his gaze at the sky. "What do you mean 'final!'"

The figures from the memory faded away.

"Now do you understand?"

Cloud glared at Sephiroth. "No. Why are you doing this?"

Sephiroth blinked to stand next to Tifa, who scrambled to stand by Cloud.

"Haha. I want to return you to your real self. The one who gave me the black materia that day..." Sephiroth's eyes drifted toward the sky. "Who would have ever thought a failed experiment would prove so useful? Hojo would die if he knew."

Cloud stepped forward. "I'm not a failed experiment. I'm Cloud!"

The scene shifted around them again, to the dark passageway outside the lab. Sick, wet, sucking noises and barely human whimpers echoed from behind the door.

"That is the identity you carry now. Five years ago, Hojo constructed you, piece by piece, right after Nibelheim was burnt. A puppet made up of vibrant Jenova cells, her knowledge, and the power of Mako. An incomplete Sephiroth-copy. Not even given a number... That is your reality."

Tifa gripped her ears. "Stop it! Cloud, don't listen to him!"

Cloud turned, hesitant to reach for her. "Tifa..."

"It's a lie... it has to be a lie... We have our memories together don't we? Being kids together, starlit nights..."

Sephiroth tilted his head slightly as he shook with silent laughter. "Tifa... Why are you so worried and scared by those words? Shall I show everyone here what's in your heart?" As Tifa shrank back from him he glanced at Kunsel. "Or perhaps you."

Kunsel shook his head. "I don't believe a word of this."

At that Sephiroth threw his head back and laugh outright. "You don't? Or do you simply not want to believe what is right in front of your eyes?"

There was no good answer to that. Cloud could see the conflict in Kunsel's face. He tried once more to reach for Tifa.

She flinched.

When Cloud snatched his hand back Tifa looked up. Her hands fell away from her ears and she shook her head.

"No. Cloud. I didn't mean..."

"What?" Cloud fixed his gaze on the floor in front of his boots. "What... am I?"

_"Did you make SOLDIER?"_

_"Then what are you?"_

_"Zack, what am I now?"_

_"You're Cloud Strife, SOLDIER."_

_"SOLDIER is a den of monsters. Don't go inside."_

_"I wanna know how ya plan to keep Spiky from turnin' on us again."_

_"Cloud! What did you do?"_

Cloud pressed his hands against his temples as if trying to crush his own skull. Tifa raised a hand but Cloud shied away. "Don't touch me!"

Sephiroth chuckled again. "Cloud... Don't blame Tifa. The ability to copy one's appearance and even memories is the power of Jenova. That the failed experiment copied the memories of the trooper who failed to enter SOLDIER is simply the product of irony."

"Or he could be the real Cloud!" Kunsel side-stepped closer to his companions. "You don't have any proof that he isn't."

"No?"

This time the scene shifted to the pod room inside the Nibelheim reactor. To one side lay Tifa, bleeding but still alive. Zack lay prone on the stairs, blood dripping through the metal grate and pooling on the floor below. Beyond the door marked 'Jenova' came the sound of boots thudding unevenly on metal. Cloud's eyes widened as he watched himself stagger through that door. Blood ran down his uniform from a single stab wound over his heart.

Kunsel winced as the memory-Cloud fell down the stairs, head bouncing on each step until he came to rest just above Zack. He heard Zack mutter something indistinct while trying to reach for Cloud.

Then Sephiroth appeared directly in front of him. Kunsel stepped back on instinct.

"Tell me, what would prevent someone from joining SOLDIER?"

Kunsel clenched his jaws.

As it became apparent that Kunsel wouldn't answer, Cloud looked up. "Kunsel?"

Glancing at Cloud was a mistake. The image brought to mind a wet chocobo chick, or a kicked puppy.

Kunsel lowered his eyes and sighed. "If the person is deemed physically or mentally incapable of surviving the process... And even then some of them don't make it."

Tifa gasped. Sephiroth laughed.

"And yet you expect someone who failed to join three times and suffered a mortal wound to have survived Hojo's experimentation." A flash and Sephiroth disappeared.

Cloud's eyes drifted back to where he and Zack were bleeding to death. Tifa pulled on his arm to no avail. He remained as rigid as a statue.

"Cloud, please... don't think right now."

Sephiroth's laughter echoed through the chamber. Suddenly, he reappeared behind them. "Think, Cloud! ...Cloud? Ha, ha, ha... Oh, excuse me. You never had a name."

"Shut up..." Cloud pressed his hands against his head again. "Shut up!"

"Cloud!" Tifa held on to him as he collapsed to his knees. "Stop it! Leave him alone!"

"'Leave him alone?' I am simply taking back what is mine."

"What about Zack?" Kunsel felt like an idiot speaking up again, but he had to try something. "If what you say about Cloud is true, then isn't Zack a copy? Why aren't you going after him?"

Sephiroth shrugged. "He isn't here. I can only assume he managed to refuse the call of Reunion. Not that it matters. He will become one with me along with everything else on the planet soon enough."

Cloud relaxed his hands. Tifa leaned down further to get a look at his face, but he kept it in shadow.

"Cloud?"

"Tifa... I'm sorry."

* * *

_Wow. This chapter is all one scene. Sorta. I also wrote it really fast. As in one afternoon. Once I figured out how Sephiroth was going to mess with Cloud it came pretty easily. Kunsel helped, too. Unfortunately, he ended up helping Sephiroth more than anything._

_After finishing this I debated whether it was a good idea to let Kunsel do so much of the talking. After all, it's Cloud's sanity and sense of self on the line here. But it's in Cloud's nature to internalize his problems. The scene would have flowed much more slowly if I were to rely on Cloud to question Sephiroth's assertions. It would have been a little confusing, too, I think. The original sequence ends with Cloud looking like he's back to normal, but then the next time we see him he's... ah, that would be a spoiler. With how strongly Cloud had been denying Sephiroth's claim, it seems strange that he'd break between one scene and the other. So this scene stays as is. Unless I find some typos or something like that._


	84. Property

**Chapter Eighty-Three - Property**

Completely ignoring the infantry escort, Scarlet trotted out into the middle of the chamber they'd found. "Wow! That's amazing!" She spun to take in all the glittering blue and green crystals in. "It's all materia!"

Rufus strode in as well, but allowed the guards to keep up. He, too, cast a (much more discreet) glance around the chamber, taking note of the tree root-like structure overhead. "The outside is rich with mako energy, the inside is a treasure trove of materia. This truly is the Promised Land."

"There is no such thing as the Promised Land." Hojo glared first at Rufus then at the two Turks 'escorting' him. "It's a legend... an old wives' tale... It's utterly ridiculous."

"Everything as I imagined it to be. Isn't it splendid?" Rufus graced Hojo with a condescending smile. "It is that kind of dullness that makes you a second-rate scientist."

A strange tremor spared Hojo the need to restrain himself.

Rufus spun around to face Scarlet. "What's happening?"

For a moment, all Scarlet could do was point a vibrating finger at the far wall. "It's coming from within the wall! Something's in there! It's moving!"

All the guards raised their firearms while Reno and Rude reached for their pistols. The only one who seemed completely calm was Hojo. In fact, the brief appearance of a large eye within the crystal structure on the far side of the chamber completely drove Rufus's insult from his mind.

"Weapon... Then it really does exist. I didn't believe in it."

Rufus narrowed his eyes as he regarded Hojo. "What does this mean?"

"Weapon." Hojo took a tone suitable for lecturing a particularly dim intern. "Monsters created by the planet. They appear when the planet is in danger, reducing everything to nothingness. That's what was stated in Professor Gast's report."

"I never saw that report." Rufus decided he'd deal with Hojo's manners later. "Where is it?"

Hojo chuckled and tapped the side of his head. "Here. Right here."

Rufus shook his head. "You keep a lot of things to yourself."

"Think of it as a security measure. Perhaps you remember what happened when the method for producing SOLDIERs fell into someone else's hands? Now that certainly was a mess."

A muscle in Rufus's jaw twitched before he spoke. "Reno, Rude, help the professor set up his equipment. The rest of you make sure there aren't any more passages in here. Oh, and Scarlet."

"Ah. Yes, sir?"

"Panic is not becoming."

Fear snapped to indignation. "Of course."

*7*7*

Nanaki flicked the end of his tail as he tried to keep from pacing. "I wonder how they're doing."

"They're probably doin' fine." Cid ground out the butt of his latest cigarette against the side of a rock. "Besides that little present from Sephiroth, there haven't been any monsters since we passed through the wind wall."

"It's so _boring_. Can't we at least look around for some materia?"

Vincent pushed Yuffie's head down to keep her from standing. "Our instructions are to stay here."

Barret nodded. "I'm gettin' a li'l impatient fer som'in' ta happen, too. But-"

Whatever he was going to say was cut off by his disappearance. Everyone else disappeared as well. Or, perhaps, Nanaki was the one who disappeared, for he couldn't see the path any more, either. Nothing existed except him and a shifting darkness.

"What the? Is everyone all right?" Nanaki swiped at the void, hoping that only his vision had been affected and that the others were there to help him. "What's going on? Where am I! Don't leave me alone!"

"Nanaki!" Tifa appeared running toward him. "You're here! I'm so glad!" As she drew near, the path reappeared, but it was empty and dark.

"Tifa!" In his relief, Nanaki barely noticed the changed surroundings until he ran to Tifa's side. "Something is strange... Why was it dark all of a sudden. And where is everybody?"

"Everyone's waiting! Cloud's in trouble!"

Nanaki's one good eye widened at that. Somewhere in the distance he could hear a voice calling for help.

Tifa pointed back where she had come from. "Over there!"

"R, right." He shook his head as if trying to get rid of a fly. His nose and ears felt like they were stuffed with cotton. "I'm not sure I understand... but I'll go if you want me to."

Watching him run off, Tifa leaned forward. She attempted an overly girly giggle. "And remember..." She flickered until Sephiroth stood in her place. "The black materia!"

*7*7*

Zack had a hard time finding a stable path over the crystals, but he eventually found himself just above what seemed like the roots of a huge tree made of materia. A gap between two of the roots seemed to be where the ShinRa expedition went. Which probably meant it was guarded.

He looked around and found a long crack that seemed to run more or less parallel to the tunnel ShinRa took. It felt a little weird, tingly, sliding along that crack.

All the weirdness vanished from his perception the moment he saw who stood in the chamber below. He gripped the edges of the crystals hard enough to crack them as he restrained himself from murdering that one individual. That one act of will caused him to almost miss when Scarlet spoke up.

"Mr. President... I've got a bad feeling about this place..." Not only her words, but the uncharacteristic lack of self-importance in her tone helped bring Zack's focus away from his initial target.

Rufus nodded. "Perhaps we should return to the ship now. We need to prepare for the inspection anyway."

They were going to do more here? Zack glanced around and noticed the pieces of equipment they already had in place. It looked like they were surveying for excavation.

"They can't..." He bent his knees for a jump at almost the same instant a flash of light filled the chamber.

When the light disappeared Cloud, Tifa, and Kunsel were standing in the chamber along with Rufus's group.

"Hey! Where did you come from?" Scarlet fumbled to regain her usual level of composure.

Cloud took a moment to answer. "Don't know."

"Cloud!" Zack jumped, landing just a few feet in front of his friend.

"Zack?" Cloud's eyes widened as he looked up. "No. You can't... You can't be here."

"What are you talking about? What's going on?"

Rufus strode towards them. "I'd like to know that, myself."

"Reunion. Where everything begins and ends. You have to get out of here." Cloud looked around as if only then realizing there were other people in the chamber. "All of you, you have to get out now!"

Zack set his fists against his waist. "You better do as he says. Leave the rest to us."

"I don't think so." Rufus smirked. "Besides, he ordered you to leave, as well."

"Cloud!" Tifa ran forward, but Cloud didn't seem to notice her. His focus drifted to the tunnel where the steady clicking of claws echoed closer and closer.

Kunsel ran directly to Zack. "Sephiroth's here! You've got to restrain Cloud."

"Why? Cloud's acting normal. Well, he's not acting mind controlled, anyway."

"He isn't... Stop!"

Zack realized two things in that moment. Cloud had moved to the tunnel and Nanaki had come in.

*7*7*

Cloud kneeled by Nanaki. "Thanks... Nanaki. Where's the black materia?"

Both Tifa and Zack ran at Cloud. Kunsel caught Tifa before she could reach him. The moment Zack came in reach, Cloud turned and punched him in the gut, sending him flying into the far wall.

Nanaki backed away. "Cloud, what are you doing?"

"I'm sorry, Nanaki." Cloud grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and jerked him to the ground. "I can't be Cloud any more."

Nanaki's one good eye widened as Cloud stepped away. He gathered his feet under him and lunged at Cloud.

Cloud stumbled from the impact but didn't fall.

"Nanaki, please, I don't want to hurt you."

"I do not wish to hurt you either, but I will do what I must to return you to your senses."

Cloud shook his head. "I have been."

_Come on... the black materia _

_Please! Just a little longer!_

Cloud turned toward the center of the room only to find Kunsel standing in his path.

"I can't let you do it, Cloud."

"I'm sorry."

*7*7*

Across the chamber, Zack pulled himself out of the hole he made in the crystal wall. "Ugh. That was a little too familiar." He looked up just in time to see Cloud knock Kunsel aside. "Cloud!"

Zack ran forward only to find the Buster Sword blocking his path. Cloud spun the blade around and planted it in the crystal floor in front of Zack.

"I'm sorry. I'm not Cloud. I never was."

"What are you talking about?" For a moment an eerily similar scene with Angeal in place of Cloud flashed through Zack's mind.

Then Hojo cackled. "Perfect! My wayward specimens have returned and proven my theory correct all in one instant!"

Zack glared undiluted hate at the mad man, only to be ignored completely. Hojo focused on Cloud.

"Now, Specimen C, was it? As fascinating as it would be to see you participate in the Reunion, there are a few more tests I'd like to run first."

Cloud's eyes widened as he backed away. "I can't do that."

"_Can't_?" Hojo straightened as much as his permanent slouch would allow. "I _order_ it! _You_ belong to _me_!"

"Stay away from him!" Zack stepped between Cloud and Hojo, Buster Sword now in hand and pointed at Hojo's face.

"Ah, yes, Specimen Z. Violent as ever. I seem to recall offering you the chance to volunteer as a specimen. How unfortunate that you refused at the time."

Zack visibly bristled at the remark, though he didn't have time to come up with any sort of comeback.

Tifa screamed.

Zack looked to his left just in time to see Cloud pulled as if on invisible strings up into a mass of tree roots around a large mako crystal.

"CLOUD!" Zack put away his sword and jumped up after his friend.

*7*7*

Kunsel shook his head as he sat up. Somewhere nearby he heard Rufus say something.

"Who... were they?"

"A couple of failed Sephiroth copies I created after the real Sephiroth died. Jenova cells and mako, with my knowledge and skills, have been combined with science and nature to bring them to life." Hojo waved dismissively. "Maybe you read the report I sent to the former president on the matter. Now, they were failures as copies, but it seems that the call of Reunion is strong enough that once my idiot assistant let them escape they made their way here, proving my theory correct."

"You're wrong." Kunsel stood up and winced. He guessed Cloud had managed to crack a couple of his ribs. "They aren't things you created in a lab."

"What do you know about it!" Hojo squinted at Kunsel. He adjusted his glasses a bit as he leaned closer. "You have Jenova cells within you as well? Are you here for the Reunion?"

"If you count trying to stop it."

Hojo nearly fell over cackling. "Stop it? You can't stop it! It's inevitable! Sephiroth has gained control of Jenova from the Lifestream. He is drawing all the scattered pieces together. It is his will that moves all with traces of Jenova in them and I am here to witness the result!"

"You're..." Kunsel shook his head. Reasoning with Hojo obviously wouldn't work even if he had the energy to do so. As it was, he found himself sinking back to the floor.

Only, partway there something furry leaned against him, easing his descent.

"Thanks, Nanaki."

Nanaki dipped his head. "I do not deserve thanks. If I had not come here, Cloud would not have the black materia."

"Don't be so sure." Kunsel cast cure on himself, though he suspected he'd have to get his ribs realigned before he could fully heal.

Assuming he got the chance.

* * *

_So most of the cast is in the same room but I feel like I really should have scene breaks because of the frequently changing view points. The real disaster is still to come, too. Man, I was on a roll with this! I just hope it comes out as good to you, my readers, as it looked in my head._


	85. Unease

**Chapter Eighty-Four - Unease**

Zack nearly rammed his head into a root as he tried to follow Cloud through the tangled mass. "Come on, Cloud. You don't want to do this."

"It doesn't matter." Cloud tightened his grip on the black materia. "You heard what he said. We only exist to do Sephiroth's bidding."

"You're expecting Hojo to tell the truth?" Zack crawled partway under one root until the opening became too narrow for him. Just slicing and dicing his way through crossed his mind, but he had no idea which parts were load-bearing.

Cloud's head drooped. "No... Just that... it all fits. The mind control. The feeling of being pulled. The problems with my memory. Everything.

Zack gave up trying to push through and backed up. "Yeah. Okay. Hojo did some seriously messed up stuff to us, but that doesn't mean we aren't human! Our purpose has nothing to with him!"

Cloud looked up. He could just see part of Zack's right shoulder over the large root separating them. "I wish I could believe that."

There had to be something Zack could say to that. Something that would make Cloud come to his senses. Nothing came to mind, though he tried as Cloud turned and addressed the air.

"Sephiroth? I'm here. And I brought you the black materia. Show yourself to me. Where are you?"

The mass of roots shook, almost throwing Zack off. He did fall when several roots, including the one he was standing on, broke away from the crystal at the center. He landed in a crouch on the floor below. Somehow, Cloud remained where he was though he'd been standing on the same root as Zack.

Above, the crystal lowered so everyone had a clear view of it. The figure encased within sent sent a ripple of horror through the chamber.

Hojo cackled at the sight. "Did you see it? It's Sephiroth! So he _is_ here! This is perfect! Both Jenova's Reunion and Sephiroth's will! They won't be diffused into the Lifestream, but gathered here!" His insane laughter reached a fevered pitch.

"What are you so happy about...?" Tifa stopped when Kunsel put a hand on her shoulder.

"There's no point arguing with him. Let's focus on getting everyone out of here."

Zack ran toward the crystal. "I'll get Cloud!"

Rufus cleared his throat, getting Tifa and Kunsel's attention if no one else. "You seem rather insistent on evacuating. So far, all I see is a partially decomposed body encased in a mako crystal."

"You've got it backwards." Kunsel pointed to Sephiroth's body, which was, indeed, missing its lower half. "He isn't decomposing, he's _recomposing_. And Cloud's about to hand him a materia that can destroy the planet."

For less than a second, Rufus actually looked scared. "We're heading back to the airship! And you," he pointed at Kunsel, "are coming with me. There's a lot more I want to hear."

Kunsel nodded. "Nanaki, Tifa, get the others."

*7*7*

When Sephiroth appeared, Cloud's awareness narrowed to only himself and the crystal housing his master. He raised the hand holding the black materia, some not-quite buried part of him trying to slow his movements. Just a few more inches.

Something collided with his leg, almost tipping him over. Looking down, he saw Zack hanging from his ankle.

"Cloud! Don't do this!"

"I have to."

Zack's grip tightened until it almost hurt. "No you don't! You know what'll happen if Sephiroth gets that materia, right? Everyone will _die_! _Tifa_ will die!"

"Tifa..."

_The planet's dying, anyway._

Before Zack could argue further, some unseen force exploded against his chest, sending him flying back. Zack staggered back to his feet. He stepped forward only to have someone try to pull him back.

"Let me go!"

"And let you get buried? Not gonna happen!"

Zack blinked at Kunsel. He hadn't noticed before, but the chamber was rumbling and small pieces of crystal were starting to fall from the ceiling.

"I promised Aerith I'd stop this."

Kunsel thumbed toward the tunnel. "I think she'd rather you survived. Now come on!"

They ran.

*7*7*

"Cloud!"

She had to stop him. She had to save him. She had to _move_.

Why wouldn't her limbs cooperate?

Aerith all but screamed in frustration as the simplest commands from her brain turned into twitching and flailing by the time they reached her arms and legs.

"What in... Aerith! What's going on?"

The next thing Aerith knew, she was sobbing into her nurse's bosom. "He... He's... He's _gone._"

*7*7*

Zack barely even noticed when they ended up on the airship's deck or when the ship took off. It took all his energy just trying not to pass out. Something, like a siren heard underwater, filled his head. He leaned against the railing, then gripped it as the airship reeled from a near miss.

Cid's jaw dropped at the sight of several monsters easily the size of ShinRa HQ exploded out of the crater. "That the hell are those!"

"Weapon." Zack shook his head. At least he could hear again, though he still felt a bit dizzy. "They're things the planet made to fight Jenova."

"Looks to me like they're goin' the wrong way."

"Fergit 'bout that!" Barret went off a little too close to Zack's ear. "Wha's wrong wit' Tifa?"

Barret knelt by Tifa's unconscious body.

"Such trivial priorities. In the face of-" Hojo's words, and most of his breath, were cut off by Zack pinning him against the bulkhead.

"YOU! You messed with Sephiroth just like Hollander messed with Angeal and Genesis! You killed Aerith's parents! You experimented on Cloud! This is all! You're! Fault!"

Hojo attempted to straighten his glasses as he did his best to glare at Zack. "I'll have you know that fool Hollander was copying _me_, not the other way around. And doing a pathetic job of it, I might add."

Zack only pressed Hojo harder against the unyielding metal.

"Ahem." Rufus stepped into Zack's field of vision. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't kill my prisoner."

"Prisoner?" Zack's grip only lightened the barest amount.

"He's been providing information. Though obviously not enough." Rufus looked at Hojo as if considering letting Zack continue what he started.

Vincent stepped forward to help with that decision. "Hojo can not be trusted. He is most likely trying to manipulate you for his own ends."

Rufus raised an eyebrow. "And you are?"

"Vincent Valentine. _Former_ Turk."

"I'll keep your warning in mind. Reno, Rude, escort Hojo back to his quarters. After extracting him from the SOLDIER, of course."

Zack considered just chucking Hojo overboard, but that would only create more problems. At that moment, he needed to make sure everyone else was okay.

Everyone who made it onboard, at least.

Nanaki padded over to Zack after the Turks left. "You have much more self control than I do."

"I didn't see you lunging at him."

"I was... otherwise occupied." Nanaki tilted his ears toward Yuffie, who was curled up with her forehead against the middle rung of the railing. "You recognized those creatures?"

"Uh, not exactly. I mean, I've never seen them before, I've just heard of them."

"You can brief us inside." Kunsel walked over to them and pointed to the door. "Barret's acting like a mother chocobo with Tifa right now, so at least we don't have to worry about anything else happening to her. Are you okay?"

Zack blinked. "Yeah. Why?"

Kunsel frowned for a moment, then shrugged. "Later."

*7*7*

Rufus Shinra sat at the head of the table in the operation room. To his right sat a very peeved Scarlet, most likely because right across from her sat Zack. Or maybe it was how Rufus seemed to take what Zack said seriously.

She finally had enough when that traitor had the audacity to refuse to reveal his sources.

"Mr. President!" She slammed her palms on the table as she stood, leaning forward so her cleavage showed more than normal. "You can't believe what these terrorists say! They'll do anything to see this company suffer."

Barret glared at her from his spot near the door. "That dun' mean we ain't tellin' the truth! Ye're jes' too greedy ta see it."

Scarlet had a retort ready when Rufus raised a hand.

"I understand your concerns, director, but that is not the current issue. Now, if this information is correct, why haven't the Weapons targeted Sephiroth?"

Zack shrugged. "Maybe they're defective?"

Rufus ignored Scarlet as she scoffed. "So they are a potential threat along with this meteor Sephiroth has supposedly summoned."

"What ya mean, 'suppos'dly?' Ya dun' trust us?"

"About as much as you trust me." Rufus raised an eyebrow at Barret. "Well, perhaps a bit more. If that's all, Reno and Rude will escort you to your quarters."

Cid glared at the Turks. "I don't need an escort. I _built_ this damn ship!"

Once AVALANCHE left, Scarlet turned toward Rufus again. "President, you-"

"People are quite predictable. When threatened they will always act in what they believe to be their own best interest."

"Exactly! That's why you can't bel-"

"They're telling the truth. Or what they believe to be the truth." Rufus stood. "Regardless, Weapon is the most immediate threat. Inform the crew that we're returning to Junon."

* * *

_And this chapter ends up a little short. I honestly have no idea what to do with the time Tifa spends in a coma. Well, I have a couple ideas for what *one* party member will be doing, but I don't know how interesting that would be._


	86. Same Boat

**Chapter Eighty-Five - Same Boat**

"And Cloud believed him?"

"He did make a convincing argument."

At Zack's look, Kunsel raised his hands in defense. "I'm not saying I believe it, I don't. The argument was _too_ good. All Sephiroth had to do was show Cloud being 'made,' but he didn't. He came up with all these arguments and counter-arguments instead. I think getting Cloud to give him the black materia was only part of his plan."

Zack sat there on the cot for a moment, staring at nothing in particular. Suddenly, he slammed his fists down on his knees.

"Damn it! He's been focusing on Cloud this whole time, even when I'm in a better position to do what he wants."

Kunsel nodded. "Of course, that could be because Cloud is easier to control."

"No. It's because Cloud beat him. Sephiroth's never been beaten. Ever."

"That might be overstating it. Just because we've never heard of anyone beating Sephiroth doesn't mean it never happened. But you're right, this does sound a lot like revenge."

Zack slumped forward. "Yeah. So now what?"

"How 'bout bustin' outta here?" Barret yelled from halfway across the crew quarters. "I ain't gonna jes' sit aroun' while the world gits killed."

Cid huffed. "Got any bright ideas on how we're gonna do that?"

Zack glanced around the room, particularly the wall facing amidship. "Well, I could rip open the door. Probably."

"You are _not_ rippin' holes in my ship!"

"Who cares." Yuffie curled up tighter under the covers of her cot. "Oooog. I just want everything to stop moving."

Zack shook his head. "We can't leave right now, anyway. Not with Tifa like this."

They all looked over at the cot Tifa lay on. Cait stretched out as far as he could to run a gloved paw over the ragged ends of her hair. "The infirmary couldn't make heads nor tails o' it. There's nothin' physically wrong with her."

"Physically." Kunsel stared at the floor for a while before looking up at Zack. He jerked his head toward the far side of the room, which wasn't all that far. Still, they moved there, Zack growing more curious as Kunsel waved off the rest of the team from following.

"What is it?"

Kunsel refrained from rolling his eyes at Zack's complete lack of volume control. "When we got onboard the Highwind are you sure you were feeling okay the whole time?"

"Aside from losing Cloud?" Zack crossed his arms in what could only be described as a defensive posture.

"Yes, aside from that."

Zack looked away for a moment. "I... felt a little dizzy. But just for a little bit."

"Right when Tifa collapsed?"

"Yeah..." Zack frowned. "You think it's connected?"

"I don't know. But you looked out of it, Tifa collapsed, and Weapon woke up all at roughly the same time." Kunsel cocked his head. "And how did you know about Weapon, anyway?"

Zack rubbed the back of his neck. "Long story. Short version is that Gast lived in Icicle Inn for a while."

Kunsel's eyes widened. "And he left notes? Damn. And we're stuck here."

A knock at the door ended the conversation. They barely had time to look before the door opened, revealing Reno and Rude.

"Hey, all! We're about to land in Junon so get yourselves together."

No one moved.

"Aw, come on. I thought you guys wanted off this flying tin can."

Cid jumped to his feet. "Watch what ya say, ya little-"

"Whoa!" Zack pulled Cid away from what would definitely be assault charges on top of everything else. He frowned at Reno. "We're just not sure what you're going to do with us once we land, that's all."

Reno grinned. "You're gettin' the royal treatment, that's what. Guest quarters close to the infirmary and the best medical treatment we've got for the babe."

Zack managed to restrain his flinch down to a mild twitch of his right eye. "Uh, I don't think letting ShinRa's medical staff near any of us would be such a great idea."

"Yeah, I don't like hospitals either." Reno pointed to Tifa. "But I'm willing to bet none of you'd dare change her panties."

Every human (or mostly human) male in the room turned some shade of red.

"Hey, we're givin' you guys a pretty swanky pad. You should be thankin' us!"

*7*7*

'Swanky' wasn't the word that came to mind when they saw the small apartment. But it was clean and roomier than most of the places they'd stayed at. What really drew their attention was the pile in the middle of the common room.

"Our stuff." Kunsel went straight to the duffle he recognized as containing the books he'd taken from Nibelheim. "Most of this was left in Bone Village."

"Yep. And the stuff ya left at Icicle Inn. Ya must've been in a real hurry to leave."

Yuffie had started tearing through the pile even before Kunsel. "Our materia's gone!" She pointed straight at Reno. "You stole from us!"

Rude cleared his throat. "Confiscated."

"Yeah. You didn't think we'd let you have anything that could be used as a weapon, did you?"

Zack crossed his arms. "So why give us any of our stuff?"

"'Cause of him." Reno thumbed toward Vincent, who raised an eyebrow in return. "Turks are family. We take care of our own."

After Reno and Rude left, Kunsel picked up a pile of notebooks. "He's right about that. A few months ago the Turks were almost executed as a unit. Word is it was because they were protecting one of their members who had gone rouge."

Vincent leaned against the wall facing the window. "Perhaps they have not changed as much as I thought."

Zack followed Kunsel into the next room and watched him set up several piles of books on a table. "You think there might be something on Weapon in there?"

"Maybe. I'm actually hoping to find something on Cloud."

"Why?"

"Because I feel responsible." Kunsel had one notebook open before remembering to turn on the lights. "I tried to argue with Sephiroth, and he turned everything I said into one more tool to break Cloud. If Cloud's still alive, I want to be able to help fix him."

Zack smiled. "Thanks. Though I don't know what you expect to find in there that'll help." He turned back toward the door. "I better get to work trying to find him."

*7*7*

Rufus sat behind his desk, watching the door into his office with mild interest as the sounds of an argument drew closer. He recognized one of the voices and could guess at least the occupation of the other two. A guess that was confirmed when the individuals in question burst through the door.

"Mr. President, I'm sor-"

"He wouldn-"

"I demand that you return my specimens to me this instant!"

Rufus casually flipped through a random file on his desk. "Are you by any chance referring to the SOLDIER First I have in custody? You may recall that the trooper was lost at the Northern Crater."

"A loss that I hold you fully responsible for." Hojo adjusted his glasses. "I want the SOLDIER and the Turk in containment units and a suitable lab equipped for me immediately!"

Rufus barely spared Hojo a glance, knowing full well that normal means of intimidation would not work. "It seems you have forgotten your current circumstances. Despite the freedom of movement I've granted, you are under my custody and any accommodations you receive are at my pleasure. Even if this were not the case and you still held your former position as head of the science department, making such demands would be cause for disciplinary action. If there is anything you require, you can bring it up formally at the next board meeting." Rufus shifted his gaze to the two guards shivering by the door. "Take him back to his quarters. In chains if need be."

"Yes, sir." Even with the helmets, they managed to look relieved when Hojo didn't resist.

Soon after they left, Heidegger marched in. "You called for me?"

"I want the army to track several creatures known as 'Weapons.' From the reports I've received so far it would seem one created a sizable crater due east of here."

"There is a crater there." Heidegger's face contorted as if unsure what expression to use. "A creature made that?"

"Yes. And if what AVALANCHE says is correct, we'll be lucky if that's the worst of it. So I want the Turks assigned to damage control. I don't want the media anywhere near this."

Heidegger huffed but didn't say a word before leaving. With that over with, Rufus allowed himself a moment to rub his eyes. Somehow, he was sure this wouldn't end well.

* * *

_Short chapter. Sorry. Things have been interesting this week. Good news is I may have a job again! Yay!_


	87. Intelligence Gathering

**Chapter Eighty-Six - Intelligence Gathering**

Yuffie chuckled. "They really must think we're stupid."

"Don't assume this is everything." Vincent set the lampshade back in place. He examined the small microphone for a moment before crushing it between his fingers.

"I wouldn't be surprised if those $&*%$ had cameras aimed at the beds." Cid pointed back where he came. "Bathroom's clean."

Barret huffed as he pulled himself out from behind the fridge. "I'd like ta know where Zack's gone ta."

"What're you talkin' about?" Yuffie pointed into the living room. "He's been on the couch all afternoon."

"Tha's where he parked himself. Dunno. It jes' seems like nobody's home."

"Never saw someone take a nap with his eyes open, that's for sure." Cid started opening cupboards.

Nanaki poked his nose into the linen closet. "Perhaps he is meditating."

Yuffie snorted but didn't get any further than that.

"Damn it!" Everyone heard Zack jump off the couch and storm into the room Kunsel had set himself up in.

Cait peeked out from behind his moogle. "What was that all about?"

*7*7*

Kunsel was already facing the door when Zack burst in. "What happened?"

"It's what didn't happen." Zack fidgeted in the doorway for a bit before stepping to one side to do squats. "I think my radar is broken. I can't find Cloud or Sephiroth."

Kunsel leaned forward. "You can't locate either of them?"

"Yeah. I know Cloud's alive, I just don't know where he is. And I'm not getting anything from Sephiroth."

"That's... weird."

"And I sat still for hours!"

"I swept the room for bugs before getting too deep into my research." Kunsel picked up a piece of paper. "So I haven't found much yet, but there is something that might help make you feel better."

Zack took the paper, frowned, turned it sideways, then turned it back again. "You really need to work on your handwriting."

"You should see Hojo's."

"I have." Zack's frown deepened. "Okay, I give up, what am I looking at?"

"Notes of notes. Apparently, Hojo found your and Cloud's service records very interesting."

Zack snorted. "I bet he did. Remember when you talked me into checking out what he was doing in the VR room?"

"All I did was send you an email." Kunsel cocked his head. "Does this have anything to do with him saying that he offered you the chance to be a specimen?"

"Yeah. Apparently he found me... interesting. Whoa. Did Cloud really take out a couple of Ravens?"

Kunsel nodded. "Looks like he was a little different even before five years ago."

"Different? He was awesome! Uh. What's this about poor scores?"

"Not sure. Hojo's notes are kinda hard to follow. Hopefully there's a full copy of his service record in here somewhere."

"Or we could ask the Turks. They seem pretty friendly now that we have Vincent with us."

"I wouldn't want to test that." Kunsel rubbed his eyes. "Especially since they'll start wondering why we want his service record."

Zack scratched the back of his neck. "I didn't think about that. So what can we do?"

"Does Aerith have her phone?"

*7*7*

He was drifting. And burning. Something like wind or water and filled with voices flowed over and through him like he didn't exist, and it threatened to burn him away physically and mentally.

Part of him wanted it to. He deserved it. But another part (or was it parts?) would not allow that.

Something out in the sea of voices must have agreed. He felt a strong pull away from the voices.

"Here he comes!"

And he fell.

*7*7*

Perhaps it was because of his profession, but Reno seemed to have no concept of knocking. He even grinned at the people who had been his enemies just days before as if he were visiting a good friend.

"Great news! Most of ya can leave."

Every eye in the room stared at him.

Zack frowned. "Most?"

"We can't just let all of ya go." Reno shrugged. "The SOLDIERs, gun-arm guy, and sleeping beauty stay here."

Barret loomed over the Turk. "An' why's that?"

Zack and Kunsel exchanged a look. They could easily guess why they were chosen to stay.

"When do we have to leave?"

While being dwarfed by Barret didn't phase Reno in the slightest, that one question (and perhaps the way Vincent was glaring at him) wiped the smile off his face. "Any time ya like. Hell, ya can stay if ya want. Not that it seems likely."

"I don't buy it." Cid did a passable job of looking intimidating. "What's the catch? We get ta leave without our weapons or materia?"

Reno waved off that concern. "Nah. You'll get that all back as soon as ya check out. Don't even have to worry about us followin' ya. We're kinda busy dealing with Weapon so small fry like you aren't worth the trouble."

"Who ya callin' 'small fry?'"

Zack had to pull Barret away before he could pummel Reno. "Hey. Easy. Let's accept the offer before they change their minds."

"Good call." Reno grinned again. "Just lemme know when you're all ready."

Zack gave a curt nod.

The instant Reno left Cait hopped toward the door. "Well, I'm guessin' you aren't goin' to want me hangin' around. I'll just pick up my megaphone and be on my way."

"Wait!" Kunsel stood. "You can leave but there's something I want you to do."

Vincent nodded. "You want us to find Cloud."

Zack dropped his fist into the palm of his other hand. "That's right! But Cait has an inside with ShinRa. He can get all sorts of information."

"What?" Cait brought up his hands and shook his head. If he had been capable of it, his eyes probably would have widened. "You don't think they'd trust me at this point, do you? My cover's been blown, remember?"

Kunsel smiled. "But your controller is still in headquarters, right? With most of the security here with Rufus it should be easy to get whatever you want."

"You're going to trust this thing after what he did!" Barret waved his gun-arm at Cait, who was quite thankful that it wasn't loaded.

"The information I want isn't anything he'd have any reason to lie about."

A low hmph pulled everyone's attention to Vincent. "I hope you're prepared for what you may find."

"That's all fine and dandy," Cid took a puff of his cigarette, "but how're the rest o' us supposed to find Cloud? It's not like we can take a swim in the Lifestream."

Nanaki tilted his head in a thoughtful way. "Sometimes the Lifestream gushes out from cracks in the earth. Perhaps Cloud escaped from one of them."

"And if we're checking out places like that, there might be materia!" Yuffie ran for her bedroom. "I'm gonna grab my stuff!"

Kunsel motioned for Cait to follow him. While the others discussed plans for finding Cloud, Kunsel gave instructions for something that might help if Cloud was still alive.

*7*7*

"Zack, you called? I mean... is it safe?"

_"Yeah. We've taken care of all the bugs and I've had my phone in my pocket this whole time. I guess they could still trace the call, but I think they've got other things to worry about right now."_

Aerith shifted in bed so the phone lay at a more comfortable angle. "True. Miss Stella had the news on... and I heard that ShinRa was fighting Weapon."

_"Stella?"_

"The nurse. She has a name, you know."

_"Of course I know. She just never told me."_

"Hmm. Oh, Vincent and Cait stopped by the other day. They were... able to find some more files on the computer here. Vincent said it looked like... someone tried to wipe the drive? But it was done in a hurry."

_"Where there more videos of your parents?"_

"Mm-hmm. And some more things on the Cetra. Cait made copies for Kunsel. Has there been any word about Cloud?"

_"Not at this end. But there's a lot of ground to cover. I'm sure he'll turn up."_

"I wish there was something I could do to help."

_"Just focus on getting better. I'll worry less once you're able to walk on your own."_

"Hmm." Aerith felt herself start to drift off, but there was still something she wanted to say. "Zack? Do you think, maybe, Cloud doesn't want to be found?"

_"Huh? Why do say that?"_

"Well, if you can't find him... maybe he's hiding."

_"... He would, too. Get some rest, okay? I'll let you know if we find anything."_

"All I seem to do is rest. But... thank you, Zack. Call again soon."

_"I will."_

*7*7*

Zack smiled at his phone. It sounded like Aerith was doing better. If only he could be with her.

Kunsel stepped into the living room and looked around. "Have you seen Barret?"

"I think he went to check on Tifa. Why?"

"I was going to ask if he'd heard whether the Corel reactor had been restarted. If Cloud could exit the Lifestream through natural pools then maybe he could end up inside a reactor."

"Seriously?" Zack's eyes widened as he thought about it. "No way! He'd be killed!"

"Probably, if the reactor's running. It was just a thought." Kunsel yawned.

"You should sleep. How long have you been up trying to prove Cloud's human?"

"Huh? I haven't been."

Zack scrunched up his face trying to figure out what Kunsel meant. "Haven't been what?"

Kunsel fought down another yawn. "Proving Cloud's human. I'm pretty sure he isn't."

"Of course he is! You said you didn't believe Sephiroth when he said Cloud was fake!"

"Doesn't mean he's human. I mean, _we_ probably aren't."

Zack clenched his fists. "You can't believe that."

"Not being human doesn't mean we aren't people. You're dating someone who isn't human." Kunsel slumped down into the couch and rubbed his eyes. "I wonder if coffee would have an effect on Nanaki."

Zack relaxed, but only a little. "Okay, so maybe we aren't human. What have you been doing?"

"Deconstructing Sephiroth's argument. And trying to figure out what Cloud was before... Do you smell something?"

Unfortunately, yes. "Oh cr-"

* * *

_This isn't filler! It really is important to the plot! Mostly. Pretty much. At least in the sense of establishing where people are, or were, and who knows what. Other than that, it's mostly transition. Not much in the way of action, either. Next chapter? Maybe?_


	88. Delay Tactic

**Chapter Eighty-Seven**

_Cloud... Cloud... I didn't know what to do. I was always like that._

_When we met outside Seventh Heaven, you seemed so strange. I kept pressing you. Then Zack told us what happened and I felt guilty. I wanted to make it up to you. I wanted to be closer to you. I didn't know how._

_Then... It felt like you were going away. I was losing you. I doubted myself. I doubted you. And when Sephiroth said those things..._

_I'm sorry._

*7*7*

A bright light stabbed through Tifa's eyelids. She tried to move her arm up to block the light, but her body felt stiff.

"...ding..."

"Huh?" Barret sounded close by.

"The glare..."

"You'll be better soon." He sounded relieved. "You've been asleep for a long time."

Tifa managed to move her head so at least the light wasn't quite so painful. "I'm... hungry..."

"Hey, why don't you ask? About him."

"Because I'm scared." Her own honesty surprised her. She pushed herself up so she was sitting at the edge of what seemed to be an exam table.

Barret shook his head. "Don't worry. Jes' 'bout ev'ryone's out lookin' for him. Guess I shouldn't be tellin' ya not to worry. None of us really know what happened back there. Though that Kunsel guy sure seems determined ta find out."

"He's still... alive, right?" Tifa felt herself start to shiver, and she wasn't sure if it was from fear or not eating for however long she'd been out. Speaking of. "How long... was I asleep?"

"Le's see... must've been 'bout seven days."

Somehow, that sounded familiar. "What about Sephiroth."

Barret sighed and proceeded to explain what had happened, or what he had been able to understand from the news and what little the Turks were willing to say (or 'let slip'). Sephiroth had a barrier of light around the crater, protecting him from all attacks. And the Weapons, which were supposed to protect the planet, were running wild like indestructible monsters. Though they stayed away from the Northern Crater.

"Weapon... is protecting Sephiroth?"

"Dunno." Barret shrugged. "But they're up here goin' around tearin' shit up. Right now Rufus' fightin' them. I hate to say it, but he's got guts. We shoulda been the ones fightin' it, but we ain't got no time..."

Tifa's eyes went wide. "Time... Hey! What about Meteor?"

He knew that was coming, but he didn't know how to approach it. None of them had talked about it. Not that they had done much talking of any sort over the last couple days. Rather than try to explain with words, he went over to the window and pulled back the blinds. Normally it would have been a fairly ordinary view of Junon's harbor with the canon dominating the scene. The canon remained, but it had to give up its place to the angry red light of the meteor looming over the horizon.

Tifa found it hard to swallow, never mind breath. "Do we have to give up?"

"Dunno."

There wasn't much else they could say even if they could think of anything. Before the silence became too awkward Rufus stepped into the room. "Ah, good. You're awake."

"As if ya di'n' know that 'afore ya came in."

"What do you want?" Tifa found it strange looking at Rufus just then. Though he held himself the same as before he seemed tired, almost uncertain.

Rufus stared out the window. "Meteor has been summoned... Essentially, it's all but over. There's no need for you now. No, maybe there is an important task..."

Before either Tifa or Barret could ask what he meant, Heidegger appeared in the doorway. "President! Preparations for the public execution are complete."

"Execution!" Barret looked like he'd been slapped in the face. "What're ya gonna get by executin' us?"

Rufus cocked an eyebrow at AVALANCHE's former leader. "You are to be executed for causing this situation. People are ignorant. They'll feel better as long as someone is punished."

Tifa bowed her head. She couldn't say she expected this, but she wasn't surprised, either.

Barret, on the other hand, just grew more incensed. "I take back what little praise I had for this damn jackass!"

Rufus nodded his acceptance. "Well, enjoy your last moments together." With that, he turned to leave.

"I'll tie you arms now." Heidegger stepped toward Barret.

For a moment, Barret looked ready to fight his way out. Tifa shook her head. From where she stood, she could see several troopers waiting in the hall, probably with orders to shoot them if they tried anything.

If they were going to die anyway, she wanted a chance to get something right first.

*7*7*

The first thing Kunsel became aware of was that he was moving. Not under his own power, he'd been shackled to something like an upright hand truck and was being pushed along a hallway.

His heart fell through his stomach when he recognized where the hallway lead.

Scarlet leered at him the moment his cart was pushed through the double doors of the auditorium. "Ah, good! The last of the traitors has been brought in. Take a good look, gentlemen, but don't get too close. This SOLDIER is dangerous. It is proof of ShinRa's dedication to justice that he's been confined."

"Justice? Since when?" Kunsel tried to move him arms without looking like he was struggling. No good. Maybe Zack could've broken free, but not him. "Hey. Where's Zack?"

"Who? Kya-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Tifa appeared from behind a large camera station, her path toward Scarlet blocked by two troopers. "You know who he's talking about! What have you done with him?"

Scarlet turned her nose up. "You see how they refuse to take responsibility for their actions? For that we'll start with her."

"No!" Barret tried to shove Tifa behind him even with his hands bound. "If ya gotta do it, do me first!"

Scarlet looked far too ecstatic with this development. "Camera, this way! Make sure you get this, the audience just eats up tearful goodbyes!"

Kunsel knew he couldn't do anything, but he still scanned the room for anything that might prove useful. One of the reporters caught his attention. Mostly the complete lack of visible facial features behind that weirdly high collar and huge hat. Something about the way... he? ... held the microphone seemed unnatural, too.

"Stop!" Tifa pulled against the guards leading her away. "It wasn't us! Sephiroth-"

Scarlet cackled. "Do you think that matters? You're the ones who made it possible!"

For a moment Tifa seemed to shrink at Scarlet's words, but it passed and she held her head up high as the guards continued to lead her toward a thick metal door.

*7*7*

The projection booth above the auditorium entrance lay dark except for the flicking light of a monitor displaying the events below. Zack stared at it in stunned silence. Even after everything that had happened, he hadn't believed ShinRa could stoop this low.

"What do you want?"

Rufus raised his eyebrows a fraction of an inch. "Isn't it obvious? They are being punished for their crimes."

"Then I should be down there, too." Zack strained against the shackles holding his wrists and ankles in place. Though he could feel parts of the chair move, nothing broke. "Why am I up here?"

"You have a very loyal fanbase. This execution is to restore order, not cause more chaos. And stop struggling. Hojo designed that chair to hold Sephiroth in case he ever rebelled."

Zack snorted. "That turned out well."

"I admit, things have not gone as I had hoped." Rufus shrugged. "This is merely an attempt to forestall the inevitable. Unless we can find some way of stopping Meteor the planet will be destroyed."

"We could help." Zack looked back at the monitor in time to see Scarlet shove Tifa into a chair straight out of Hojo's wet dreams. There wasn't any sound, but Zack guessed Tifa said something because Scarlet slapped her before storming out.

Rufus half turned to look at Zack, missing the glint of metal falling from the pocket of one of the guards. "I'm sure you could. But who would you be helping? It seems one of your number has already sided with Sephiroth."

"That wasn't-!" Zack tried to jump to his feet, getting a painful reminder of why he was sitting in the first place.

Almost immediately, sirens went off all over the base.

"Emergency! Emergency! Weapon's approaching! Attention all military personnel: take your positions!"

"Interesting." Rufus didn't elaborate before leaving the projection booth. Leaving Zack alone to watch as Tifa tried to reach the object that had dropped earlier.

*7*7*

If it weren't for the danger they were all in at that moment, Kunsel would have laughed at the way Scarlet tried, and failed, to order the reporters back into their seats.

All except the strange fat one, who waddled up to Scarlet as if he was used to this sort of thing.

"How does it feel now, Scarlet?"

That voice was awfully familiar. No way.

She brushed a few strands of hair out of her face. "Hmm, so you didn't run? I'm impressed. How do I feel? Right now..." A blast of some sort of gas cut her off. She gagged as she fell to the floor, unconscious.

Barret bent over as best he could with his arms behind his back. "Huh? Sleeping gas?"

Kunsel rolled his eyes. Trust Barret to latch on to the most unimportant part. Meanwhile, the fat man, or Cait once he ditched the clothes, fired off spells at the remaining guards to incapacitate them. After a little searching, he managed to find a key that fit Kunsel's restraints.

"You need to work on your disguise. How'd you manage to get past security?"

"They never think about the air ducts. Just had to leave my ride here when we left. Figured it might be a little tricky gettin' back in, ya know."

Barret looked confused. "But ain't you part o' ShinRa?"

Cait shrugged. "Let's just say I'm against capital punishment. Besides, I hate this broad." He hopped over and started untying Barret. "You two get Tifa. I'll keep watch at the entrance."

Kunsel suspected there was more to it than that. Cait and Reeve had taken a big risk. He wondered if they were going to be okay.

First things first, though. Kunsel reached the door and pulled. It didn't budge.

* * *

_A lot of people have asked, and I think I can be fairly safe in assuring that a certain fight will take place on camera. Probably next chapter, but I won't promise. There are a lot of things that have to happen first. Like getting Zack out of that chair._


	89. Break Out

**Chapter Eighty-Eight - Break Out**

Rufus reached the command room of the military base at almost the same time Heidegger did.

"It's Weapon." The older man puffed as if he'd run a long distance. Which he may well have.

As if the blaring sirens and warning messages didn't make it clear. Rufus was too tired to make a point of this. "There have been so many attacks lately. Can we handle it?"

Heidegger didn't look too sure. "I believe so. Your orders?"

"No need to ask."

"We'll give it a shot from our big cannon." Heidegger turned to the sailors following him. "Open cannon doors! Activate cannon. Target: Weapon!"

The men almost fell over themselves in their haste to get that order out.

Sirens wailed, warning everyone to get off the streets. With barely enough time to do so, huge blast shields thundered out of the sidewalks to seal the first row of buildings from both enemy and friendly fire. Huge gun installations rose from panels in the roadways while the primary feature of Junon, the mako canon, jerked to life. Gears that had never been used screamed as the cannon aimed at a spot far out in the ocean.

The barrel reared back, shooting a ball of semi-solid mako energy where they assumed Weapon to be.

Silence.

Rufus looked over his shoulder at Heidegger. "Did we get it?"

"Seems so..."

With almost hilarious timing, the city's warning system sprang back to life. The radio announcer sounded unprofessionally panicked. _"Weapon approaching! It's heading right toward us! Speed, 50 knots!"_

Heidegger turned white as a sheet. "It can't be! We hit it dead on!"

"How about the cannon?"

Heidegger shook his head. "It'll take time to reload."

A little of Rufus's calm cracked. "Then use regular fire power in the mean time!"

"Yes, sir!" Heidegger saluted before running toward the door to shout his orders to whoever might be close enough to hear. "Open all artillery doors! Target: Weapon! Don't let it land!"

Either someone heard him, or desperate self-preservation kicked in. Both automated gun towers and artillery troops fired on the serpentine shadow speeding toward them.

The only effect seemed to be making Weapon move faster. Infantrymen ran for whatever cover they could find as it rose out of the water and rammed into the seaward base of the mako cannon.

*7*7*

"Barret! Kunsel! Help!"

"Hold yer breath!" Barret pulled and pounded on the door. "Hold on as long as you can!"

"Come on! I can't hold on forever!"

Kunsel would have slapped his forehead if he weren't busy searching Scarlet's unconscious body for a key. Not that she seemed to have one. "Here, let me try the door."

Barret glowered. "Wha' makes ya think ya'd have better luck?"

Kunsel stood with his arms folded over his chest. At almost have a foot shorter than Barret he didn't look at all imposing. "I can lift you."

"_hmph_ Fine. I'm goin' to look fer another way in."

Kunsel took hold of the door handle and pulled. It refused to budge. He braced one foot against the door frame and pulled harder. For a moment it seemed like the door would give way. Right before the handle broke off, sending Kunsel stumbling off the stage.

*7*7*

Above, in the projection booth, Zack still struggled to break free. One arm felt loose when the door opened to reveal a tall infantryman. Zack stiffened until the man removed his helmet.

"Vincent?"

As if anyone else could look like that. Zack wondered how he managed to hide all that hair under a helmet.

Vincent didn't say a word until he started working on the locks. "You seem to have warped the latching mechanism."

"Yeah. I'd be out by now, but apparently this was designed to hold Sephiroth."

Vincent raised an eyebrow at that, but otherwise didn't respond. Zack still had a few things to say, though.

"How did you know we needed rescuing?"

"Television."

"Oh. Right." Zack shut his mouth until they got out of the room and turned toward the exit. "What about everyone else?"

"Cait Sith is freeing them. My priority is getting you to the airship."

Zack started trotting backwards. "And mine is making sure everyone else is okay." He turned and sprinted for the stairs.

*7*7*

Kunsel poked Scarlet with the toe of his boot. "Hey."

Nothing.

He grabbed the front of her dress and shook. "HEY!"

"Wha-! Get your hands off me, you oaf!"

"Love to. First I want you to tell me how to get that door open."

She glanced down at the handle he still held. "What did you do!"

"Something I might just do to you if you don't cooperate."

"Idiot! Even if I did unlock the door for you there's no way to open it without a handle!"

"Good thing I came by, huh?"

Both Kunsel and Scarlet looked up at the voice. Kunsel's jaw dropped. "Zack! Where the hell have you been?"

"Projection booth. So, where's Tifa?"

Kunsel pointed. "In the gas chamber. Still holding her breath, I hope."

"Doesn't look too hard." Zack had just enough time to crack his knuckles before the whole base shook.

* * *

_Short chapter. Sorry! Things got a little... interesting, schedule wise. New job, lost filing, sleep study... Speaking of, I want to sleep for about a week. Not that I can._


	90. Over the Edge

**Chapter Eighty-Nine - Over the Edge**

Trying to fit a key into a lock without using her hands proved a tad more challenging than getting the key in the first place. For a moment, Tifa worried she might drop the key and have to go through the whole process again. Assuming she could hold her breath that long.

The lock clicked open. She wasted no time grabbing the key from her mouth and unlocking the other cuff. Finally free, she started searching for a way to turn off the gas. Thankfully, ShinRa's engineers thought to install an emergency shut-off switch.

She had barely taken two steps toward the door when something ripped through the outer wall. Sunlight and fresh air filled the room.

"Guys! I have a way out!"

"You do?" Zack's voice surprised her. "Does that mean I don't get to rip open the door?"

Tifa had a hard time not laughing. "Maybe you should find our equipment. I'll meet up with you."

Kunsel spoke this time. "Where should we meet up?"

Zack responded. "Vincent said something about an airship, so maybe the airport?"

"All right." Tifa nodded before remembering that they couldn't see her. "I'll see you there."

*7*7*

Kunsel turned away from the door. "Well, that solves one proble-Where's Scarlet?"

"Huh?" Zack spun around. "She couldn't have gotten through the main doors, Vincent's out there."

"So she either took the stage door or she had an exit materia on her. Guess we're going to have to hurry."

They ran for the door. Vincent must have heard them, because he opened it for them. After a rushed explanation, all three headed for where they hoped their stuff would be.

Surprisingly, not only was their stuff still in the guest apartment, but the place looked like it hadn't been touched aside from removing Zack and Kunsel.

"They didn't get around to cleaning up?"

Zack grabbed a couple of bags. "Guess so. Vincent, want to strip the kitchen?"

A nod was the only response Zack got. Not that anything else was needed, Zack was already half way to the bedroom.

*7*7*

Tifa started to regret her escape plan as soon as she saw what was on the other side of the hole.

Air. Lots and lots of air straight down. She'd have to climb down the side of the cannon.

She took a deep breath and started down. It wasn't so bad. Kinda like mountain climbing, only with fewer handholds. And, she noticed once she reached the top of the cannon mounting, an odd lack of building-sized monster.

"There she is!"

But there were troops coming down after her. She hurried along the ledge until she found a spot where she could climb down without falling. Unlike the poor man who lost his footing just above the ledge.

And unlike herself a few stories down.

For a moment she couldn't see anything. Then she heard the troops climbing down after her. She ran. Her vision started to clear and she realized she ran in the wrong direction with no chance to double back. Either she could run right into the troops or she could continue along the barrel of the cannon to a certain dead end.

She wasn't about to surrender.

*7*7*

"Everyone ready?" Kunsel opened the door of the apartment.

And promptly slammed it shut.

"We've got company!"

Zack adjusted the straps on his pack. "How many?"

"About a dozen. All second class SOLDIERs."

Zack froze. He knew eventually they'd have to face SOLDIER, but that didn't make it any easier.

Kunsel stepped to one side. "There won't be anyone you know."

"You're sure?"

"Life expectancy for SOLDIER dropped a lot since you've been gone."

That didn't make Zack feel any better. Regardless, they had to get through somehow. Vincent already had his gun drawn.

Two things happened at nearly the same time. The door slid open and Vincent fired his gun. A moment later the first SOLDIER stumbled back, a bullet lodged in his jaw.

Zack and Kunsel leaped through the doorway. Both ducked as the SOLDIERs lifted their swords.

Kunsel didn't have the training or experience in unarmed combat that Zack did, so he hung back slightly, taking care of anyone Zack or Vincent missed.

Zack barreled through the first and second line of attackers. One fell with his head snapped around backward. Another flew down the hall after a kick to the gut, taking two other SOLDIERs with him.

As Zack grappled with another SOLDIER, one tried to come up from behind. Zack spun around just as Vincent shot the SOLDIER in the neck.

Zack grabbed the fallen SOLDIER's sword and cut a swath through the remaining attackers.

"What's the quickest way out of here?" Zack glanced back before swinging at yet another SOLDIER.

Vincent pointed in the direction the SOLDIERs were coming from.

"Great."

*7*7*

She had hoped there might be a maintenance ladder or something she could use to get down. No such luck. She turned to face her pursuers.

To her surprise, the first one to reach her was Scarlet. How she managed to walk on the cannon in high heals would forever mystify Tifa.

"Our little game of hide and seek ends here." Scarlet sneered at the vast open space to Tifa's right. "The execution may have been unsuccessful, but your death by falling into the water below still might be pretty exciting."

Tifa did nothing except tighten her stance.

Scarlet marched up to her. Rather than pushing her as Tifa expected, Scarlet slapped her across the face. Again. "Stuck up to the end!"

"Quit slapping me! You old wench!" This time Tifa could slap back. Scarlet reeled back a step.

"How dare you!"

Slap.

"Pay back!"

Slap.

"That hurt!"

Slap.

"Same to you!"

Slap!

Scarlet fell, her expensive heels snapping from her attempts to stay upright. "I can't stand this!" She motioned for the troopers standing behind her. "Take her away." Even with her face red and her shoes ruined she still managed a condescending sneer. "Now it's time to pay up. I'll really drop you if you don't settle down! Ha, ha, ha, ha!"

"Run."

Tifa backed up and looked around. She couldn't tell where the voice had come from or even whether she had really heard it.

"Run to the end of the cannon."

She had no idea why she would want to do that, but she did anyway. Moments later, an airship rose into view. Barret stood at the railing holding a rope. He threw the rope to her as she jumped.

And missed.

For several gut-twisting seconds Tifa thought she would really die this time. Almost at the very end a loop of rope twisted within reach. She grabbed it and held on with hands, arms, and legs.

*7*7*

As soon as they were all sure Tifa made it safely aboard, Cait took Kunsel aside. "It took a lot of doin' but I was able to find what you were lookin' for."

"All of it? That's great." Kunsel took the box offered by the mechanical moogle.

Cait tipped his head to one side. "Now, I understand why you want Cloud and Zack's records, but why'd you want your own?"

"For comparison. I know me, and I'm pretty close to average for a SOLDIER. Well, I was."

Cait nodded and nudged his moogle into a slow hop toward the cockpit. Kunsel turned in the other direction, toward the operations room. The airman stationed there, a somewhat pudgy man in a blue flight suit, snapped to attention the moment the door opened.

"Sir!"

"Airman." Kunsel returned the salute so the guy could relax a little. "Mind if I use the screen in here?"

"I... I don't think that'll be a problem, sir."

Kunsel nodded and set the box on the table. "Then I'll have to ask you to stand guard outside."

"Yes, sir."

As soon as the airman left, Kunsel took a disk out of the box labeled "Gast's Research - Icicle Inn."

*7*7*

"Everyone? Everyone's here?" Tifa followed Barret into the cockpit. Her footsteps felt light for a moment. Hopeful.

Crushed.

Cid grinned when he saw her. "Hey! Welcome to my airship, the Highwind! If there's anythin' ya need, I'll make sure one of these idiots gets it for ya." He jerked his thumb toward the airmen working the controls.

Tifa barely heard him. She continued to walk slowly around, noting everyone who was there. Cait wobbled next to her. Zack stood near the railing in front of the large view-port. Barret stood nearby, glowering at something outside. Nanaki sat by the foot of the stairs into the mechanic's pit. Vincent leaned against one of the unmanned control stations. Yuffie, she knew, was still on the deck trying to calm her stomach. And Kunsel had disappeared somewhere.

The only ones not accounted for were Cloud and Aerith.

"Not enough crew."

Zack nodded. "We'll find him. There aren't that many places left to look."

"Yeah?" Cid suddenly looked serious. "So where to?"

"Icicle Inn. I don't think we should leave Aerith there any longer."

While everyone else got ready, Tifa went down into the mechanic's pit to sit on the stairs. Nanaki rested his head on her lap.

"Do you think Cloud will be himself?"

"I don't know." Tifa rubbed Nanaki's head behind his ears. "I don't know what to do. I wish Cloud was here. Even if there's nothing we can do to stop Meteor, I want to be near him."

"What's wrong wit'cha?" Barret's voice boomed from the main level of the cockpit. "What happened ta the strong girl I used to know?"

Tifa shook her head. "I'm surprised, too. I feel so depressed."

Barret humphed. "Well, snap outta it. Ain't no gettin' off this train we're on. We'll find some way to stop Meteor with or without Cloud."

"We'll fight with him."

Tifa twisted around and saw Zack standing at the head of the stairs. Despite his words, he looked grim.

Barret's frown deepened. "Wha's so special 'bout him? I get that yer friends, but we've got more 'portant things ta worry 'bout."

"He's special _because_ he's a friend! And I'm not going to abandon him!"

"No one gets left behind, huh?" Cid grinned. "I like your attitude. Got a place for us to go after pickin' up your girl?"

Zack scratched the back of his neck. "Uh, not really. We should probably talk about that on the way."

* * *

_Barret is as sensitive as ever. I'm sure he means well, usually, but he does strike me as the last person I'd ever go to for reassurance. That, and his attitude toward mental problems annoys me. I've often been tempted to write a self-insert fic just so I could tell him exactly what I think of him._


	91. Think, Do

**Chapter Ninety - Think, Do**

Seeing Aerith in a wheelchair was harder than he thought it would be. Sure, he'd seen her in one before, but part of him had hoped she'd be well enough to walk on her own by now. He wasn't too sure about having Stella come with, too.

"What about your job at the clinic?"

She waved off his concern. "Most people aren't too concerned about their health when facing the end of the world. If we survive all this, it'll still be there when I get back."

Zack still wasn't totally convinced but he shifted his focus to Aerith. "The Highwind isn't really handicap accessible. Do you feel up to being carried?"

"Only if you promise not to jump off any cliffs." Aerith managed to lift her arms just enough to drap around Zack's neck as he bent over her. "But won't it be a lot of trouble to carry me everywhere?"

"Nah. It's my pleasure."

Aerith gave him a sly smile. "Not too much pleasure, I hope."

"There's such a thing?" Zack hugged her close but kept his grip loose. She felt so fragile. "How are you feeling?"

"Happy to see you again."

"That's... great, really. Not what I had in mind, but great."

Aerith giggled. "I know. I have trouble moving my body and get tired easily, but otherwise I'm fine."

Zack relaxed a little. "But you will walk again, right?"

"Are you tired of carrying me already? I didn't think I weighed that much."

"No way!" Zack laughed. "I could carry you for the rest of my life. It's just, not being able to move on your own is..."

"I know. And I will. Maybe not soon, but I'm working on it. For now I'm just glad to be here with you." She smiled. "Maybe I can even help find Cloud."

Zack cocked his head to one side. "How?"

"Kunsel isn't the only one who can research. Speaking of, I have something both of you should hear."

"And I thought I could have you to myself for a while." Zack made a show of looking disappointed.

Aerith leaned further into Zack's shoulder. "Maybe when the world isn't coming to an end."

"That's the best time to have you to myself! You've watched movies, right?"

"Obviously not the ones you've seen. Can't we... We should find Kunsel while I'm still awake."

"Huh? Oh, right." Zack turned toward the operations room. The airman at the door saluted as they approached.

"Sir, the operations room is currently in use."

"Yeah, I know. He's..."

The door opened and Kunsel poked his head out. "Hey. I didn't expect to see you two for at least an hour. Everything all right?"

"Fine. Aerith's just going out of her way to drive me crazy, that's all."

"That doesn't sound too hard." Kunsel stepped out of the way, letting them in.

Aerith laughed, but it came out weak. "Oh. Hnn. Did you get my father's records?"

"Yep." Kunsel pointed to the computer he'd pulled out of the corner. The image on the screen revealed Professor Gast in a rather unflattering freeze-frame. "I was on the second video when you came in."

"Go back to the... file list, please."

Kunsel did so while Zack tried to arrange Aerith comfortably in a chair. When the list appeared, Aerith indicated one marked 'anchor pairing.'

Gast's voice started almost immediately. "You mentioned last time that planet reading is usually done in groups. Why is that?"

Apparently, this was one of the files that had been corrupted, because both audio and video went out for about a second. Ifalna's voice shuddered back mid-sentence. "-to get lost even for those with a strong will. Because of this, extended conversations with the planet are usually avoided. Even short conversations can be dangerous if one delves too deep."

"Is there any way to reduce the risk?"

Ifalna nodded. "We seek out an anchor. Someone we can tie our consciousness to and who can pull us back if we forget."

"Is there anything in particular you look for in an anchor?"

"It's different for everyone, but at the heart there has to be trust. No." Ifalna shook her head as if something just occurred to her. "Trust isn't the right word. It's something deeper. Everyone is born with a part of themselves missing. When you find that missing piece you also find your anchor."

Gast lowered his notepad. "That sounds like what many people call soul-mates."

"Yes. That would be a way to describe it."

"And in... Have you found your anchor?"

Ifalna ducked her head in an attempt to hid her blush. "Perhaps."

Kunsel paused the video there. "Okay, that's interesting, but how does that help here?"

Aerith had managed to wake up a little while watching her parents. "I felt Cloud disappear and Cait said that Tifa fell into a coma right after that."

Zack and Kunsel stared at each other over Aerith's head in stunned silence.

"What?" If she were feeling better, she would have whipped her head back and forth to look at both of them.

Kunsel spoke first. "Three anchors? Doesn't that sound kinda, uh..." He waved his hand like a seesaw.

"Three?"

"I had a dizzy spell at the same time Tifa passed out."

"Oh." Aerith thought for a moment. "No. I'm not even sure that's the answer. He connected with my mind twice and maybe he never fully severed that connection." She closed her eyes and vibrated with silent laughter. "I can't explain Zack."

The man in question scrunched up his face. "_I'm_ strictly into girls."

"Sure. We can tease Zack about this later." Kunsel expression said that there would be a lot of teasing. "If you're right, that means Cloud's a Cetra. Wouldn't he know something like that?"

Aerith let her head droop toward Zack. "I doubt he's a full Cetra, or even half like me. There's another video... Many Cetra joined the human communities. Their descendents forgot their origins but may have hidden abilities."

Zack wrapped an arm around Aerith's shoulders. "That'd explain everything, right?"

"I'm not sure." Kunsel looked down at the papers spread out on the table. "There isn't all that much information on what Cetra abilities actually are beyond talking to the planet. All I can tell for now is that Cloud's abilities are a lot different from Aerith's."

"At least it's a direction to look." Aerith drooped a little more.

Zack scooped her up, hugging her closer than was absolutely necessary. "Let's find somewhere for you to rest."

Just as Zack reached the door, Kunsel looked up. "Hey. Did our next stop get decided yet?"

"Yeah. Mideel."

*7*7*

Omega and Chaos. Interesting, weird, but not relevant.

Research on the nature of summons. Also not relevant. Probably. Kunsel dog eared the page discussing the possibility of undiscovered summons.

A diary kept by one of Hojo's lab assistants. More creepy than useful.

Zack and Cloud's personnel records. Those raised way more questions than they answered. If for no other reason than a lot of Zack's missions had been classified and so details of his performance were sketchy at best. Cloud seemed to have had a tendency to get assigned to classified missions as well, despite the obvious disdain the drill instructors had for him.

None of it made sense. Most of the reports in Cloud's file indicated that he was average at best. Then there were the anomalies. His scores from the physical exam, though incomplete due to a broken leg partway through the test, were almost at Zack's level. He also failed the psychological exam rather spectacularly. Kunsel suddenly felt even worse for him. That kid had issues way before Hojo got his latex gloves on him.

The door to the operations room banged open, followed by tobacco smoke.

"We're landin' now! Didn't ya hear? Damn it, if that speaker's out again I'm gonna..."

"I heard." Kunsel let his head fall onto the table. "I'm a little busy here."

"Still tryin' ta figure out what's weird with the kid, huh?" Cid looked over Kunsel's shoulder at the part of the report most clearly visible and read for a bit. "*&#$. Kid sounds like some sort of berserker."

Kunsel blinked up at him. "What did you say?"

"Ya goin' deaf or somethin'? I said he sounds like a $#&*^ berserker. Granpappy grew up in the mountains, used ta tell all sorts o' wild stories. Ma would've either died or killed him if she'd heard some o' them. Anyway, seems there's this legend up there o' men who'd seem normal until they were sent to battle. Then they'd put on animal skins or drink some sort o' special beer and go nuts. One berserker was supposed to be able to take out an entire army." Cid took a long drag on his cigarette. "Sure would like to know what was in that beer."

For moment that seemed to drag on forever Kunsel just sat there frozen. Then, in a move so quick and sudden it made Cid yelp, he grabbed a couple of the journals he had tossed aside.

"There was something in here. I didn't even think of the connection at the time. There's so much buried in legend that it's hard to figure out what's real and what isn't."

"Huh? You sayin' there's a chance Granpappy's stories were real? Bet he's laughin' his ass off in the Lifestream right about now."

"Something like that. Let everyone know that I'll be staying here for now."

"Yeah. Sure. Don't forget to come up for air once in a while."

Kunsel was already too deep in his notes to acknowledge Cid's advice.

*7*7*

Tifa hadn't realized how hungry she was until Stella insisted she eat something. The old nurse clucked as Tifa dug into the thick soup she'd served.

"Didn't you think to eat after you woke up?"

"I was about to be executed." Tifa already had her spoon up to her mouth by the time she finished talking.

"And after that?" Stella shook her head. "You can't go looking for your man on an empty stomach."

Tifa choked. "W-what? I-"

Stella held up a hand. "Don't. I've seen enough women pining after lost menfolk to recognize love sickness when I see it. Whether you've admitted it to him or yourself makes no difference."

Suddenly, Tifa didn't feel quite so hungry. "It's not that. Even before he disappeared he was avoiding me. I don't know if he... if he can have feelings for me."

"Well, there's only one way to find out, isn't there? Now finish your soup and get out there."

* * *

_Ah, I like Stella. I'm usually not thrilled about OCs, especially if they're main characters, but I'm hopeful for Stella. She'll probably stay in the background mostly._

_Now to the important stuff. Aerith's back! With some interesting possibilities! All I can say for now is that all the pieces still aren't out in the open. hehehehe_


	92. Change of Plans

**Chapter Ninety-One - Change of Plans**

The South Sea Islands were known for two things: vast tracts of mostly undisturbed sub-tropical forests and hot springs. Mideel was surrounded by both. In addition to the natural salts that made most hot spring communities a haven for those seeking relief from life's ills, the Mideel springs originated from deep faults full of diluted Lifestream. Tiny amounts reached the surface, just enough to be measurable and give the locals something extra to attract customers. Whether there actually were medicinal benefits hadn't been scientifically proven.

Those springs, and the deep-sea geysers off the coast, were the reason Zack and the rest came. If there was the slightest chance Cloud could surface there, they had to take it.

Even if it seemed highly unlikely. Tifa followed along with everyone else, but her heart just wasn't in it. How could anyone survive floating in the Lifestream like that? True, Cloud had already survived four years in mako, but would he survive a second time? It seemed almost too much to ask.

After they passed the town gate they split up and Tifa found herself alone near some shops. Maybe not entirely alone. A cold, wet nose pressed against her right thigh.

She looked down to find a scruffy dog with pale blue eyes staring up at her.

"What's the matter?" She knelt down and started scratching behind the dog's ears. He leaned into the motion happily. "Are you all alone? You got lost didn't you? Separated from someone you love? Silly thing..."

Someone nearby spoke, or had been speaking for some time, she simply hadn't noticed.

"...guess it's been about a week now since he washed up here on the shore... Poor pokey-headed young thing..."

_Pokey headed?_ Tifa looked up, still petting the dog. Two old men stood outside one of the shops. The older of the two nodded.

"It was sad but... strange. I dunno. He had these weird blue eyes."

"What did you just say?" Tifa jumped up and ran to the men, the dog walking slowly behind her.

*7*7*

"A young man with hair like a chocobo..." The shop keeper drifted off as he glanced over Zack's head.

Again.

Zack sighed. "Yuffie, couldn't you have gone with Vincent?"

"Tried that!" She stood on her tiptoes, digging the ends of her hiking boots into Zack's shoulders. "He ran off into the woods somewhere and disappeared. He can be really fast when he wants to be. Hey! Tifa!" She hopped to a seated position, somehow avoiding the edges of Zack's armor. "Mush!"

Zack scowled. "I'm not a sled dog!"

Yuffie grabbed a handful of hair and yanked. "GIDDYAP!"

"OW! Get off!" He pulled on Yuffie's arm with one hand while rubbing his abused ear with the other. "Are you trying to make me go deaf?"

"I think Tifa found something! Come oooon!"

Zack passed a mangy wolf-dog as he ran across the town square. He caught up with Tifa outside what looked like a small clinic.

Her eyes had more life in them than he'd seen since the almost execution.

"He's alive! Cloud's alive!"

Zack's face almost broke from grinning. "Really? Where?"

She pointed at the clinic. He could feel his mood dim as he followed her inside.

Yuffie jumped off his shoulders just outside the door, so she got in last. Both heard Tifa yell Cloud's name.

An old gentleman in a lab coat stood up from behind a desk. "Here now. The way you're running around here, you'd think Meteor fell or something." He shook his head, apparently realizing how bad his own joke was.

Tifa bowed her head briefly. "I'm sorry, but I heard that a friend of mine was being taken care of here."

"A friend?" The doctor thought for a moment. "Oh yes! That young fellow? Don't worry. Your friend is safe, but his condition is-"

Tifa didn't give the doctor time to finish. "Here? Over here." She ran into the next room.

Zack stepped toward the doctor but decided he should follow Tifa instead.

"Cloud?" Tifa fell to her knees in front of a wheel chair. In it, Cloud sat slumped over like a rag doll. His glassy eyes stared at nothing.

Tifa choked. "Cloud... what's wrong? Cloud! What happened to you?"

Zack didn't realize he was still standing in the doorway until the doctor tried to squeeze passed him.

"Mako poisoning." The doctor held his chin in his right hand as he regarded his patient. "Quite an advanced case... It appears this young man man's been exposed to a high level of mako energy for a protracted period of time. He probably has no idea who or where he is now. Poor fellow, his voice doesn't even work. He is literally miles away from us. Some place far away where no one's ever been... All alone..."

"No way." Yuffie ducked her head as she stepped back. "You're lying, right?"

A nurse cautiously extended a hand toward Zack. "Are you alright?"

No. He wasn't. He felt like he was going to throw up. All he could hear was Tifa pleading with Cloud to wake up and the doctor's words running through his head over and over.

"What do you want me to do? Please, Cloud... Talk to me... Tell me you see me, that you hear me... Tell me, please..."

He had to do something. No way he would let Cloud suffer like that again. He ran from the clinic just in time to hear the end of whatever the doctor had been saying to Yuffie.

"...was put into his brain all at once. No normal human could survive it. It's a miracle he did!"

"Doc, I need a word with you."

The doctor turned to face Zack. "Of course. Ah, where are my manners. My name is Dr. Beck."

"Zack. How much do you know about mako poisoning?"

"I doubt you'll find anyone who knows more unless you go to ShinRa." Dr. Beck adjusted his glasses as he peered at Zack's face. "Why?"

"I want to know if there's anything I can do to help."

"He's a friend of yours? Then perhaps you could bring some personal items for him. One thing I've noticed when treating people with both mako addiction and mako poisoning is that physical contact with familiar objects can help."

"Oh." Zack thought back to when he tried to help Cloud after their escape. Maybe changing him out of his infantry uniform hadn't been the best idea.

Dr. Beck nodded. "Now, I do have to warn you, his prognosis isn't good. There's very little that can be done besides hope."

Zack couldn't think of anything to say before Tifa stepped outside looking like she'd just made an effort to look like she hadn't been crying.

"Are you going to be okay?"

Tifa nodded at Zack. "Yes. I'm sorry I had you worried. And I have something I want to say to you." She motioned toward Yuffie to include her. They all followed Tifa back inside. Once there, Tifa rubbed her hands as she tried to work the words out to her mouth.

"I don't care about anything else, only Cloud. I... want to be by his side."

"Yeah. I get it." Zack shifted from one foot to the other. "I'd stay, too, but..."

Tifa shook her head. "You have to be with Aerith."

Yuffie tackled Tifa, almost sending both of them to the floor. "Take care of yourself, too! And I'll keep my eye out for any materia that can help him!"

"With or without materia, we'll visit." Zack gripped Tifa's shoulder. "Hang in there."

*7*7*

Something about Zack's call didn't sound right. Cid glared at his phone but eventually shrugged and put it away. If there was a problem he'd hear about it soon. Zack did say he wanted everyone to meet in the operations room.

Cid got another surprise when he boarded the Highwind.

"Vincent? How'd you know to come back so soon? I thought you went off on your own."

"I observed Zack's group return early."

Nanaki's ears twitched. "Do you know why?"

Vincent shook his head.

"Welp, guess we'll find out soon as Barret gets his over-sized ass in gear and shows up." Cid glanced over the railing. "Speak of the devil. And he managed to not kill the walkin' doll."

A couple airmen lowered a basket for Cait and Barret to ride up to the deck. Vincent headed inside moments before the basket reached the top.

The others were walking down toward the operations room when they heard Yuffie scream. They raced to the operations room to find Yuffie chew Vincent out for scaring her half to death.

They also saw Zack, and Cid knew something was wrong. Kunsel and Aerith sat on either side of him yet he barely seemed to notice. Cid put out his cigarette on the door frame before entering.

"Ya'll look like someone shot yer dog." Cid took another glance around the room. "Where's Tifa?"

That got Barret's attention. "What? If ya let som'in' happ'n ta her I'll..."

"She's staying in Mideel." Zack balled up his fists. "Cloud's there at a clinic. He has mako poisoning."

The room fell silent and somber.

Surprisingly, Vincent spoke first. "Now that Cloud has been found, what will you do?"

Zack sighed. "First, I'm going to see if there's anything of Cloud's we can leave here for him."

"Tifa will need clothes, too." Aerith tipped her head toward Zack. "Stella and I could go into town and pick up other necessities for her."

Zack placed his hand over Aerith's. "Are you sure you're up to that?"

Stella answered for her. "Some fresh air would do her good. There's too much smoke in here."

Cid grumbled but otherwise didn't contest the point.

"So wha' 'bout the planet?" Barret waved his gun-arm at the ceiling. "While ye're messin' 'round wit' shoppin' an' all Meteor's gettin' closer by the sec'nd!"

Zack glared at Barret. "Do you know how to stop it?"

"No, but anythin's better 'en sittin' 'round here doin' nothin'!"

"Hate to interrupt," though Cait's tone sounded like he really didn't, "but Gya-ha-ha and Kya-ha-ha are up to something. Wanna listen in?"

Zack glanced around the room. With everyone in apparently agreement he nodded for Cait to continue. The little robot tapped on the moogle's head, making it open its mouth to reveal a speaker.

Rufus's voice came through first. "We're faced with two issues. One, destroy Meteor. Two, remove the barrier around the Northern Crater and defeat Sephiroth. Any ideas?"

Heidegger's laugh sounded even more horse-like through the speaker. "We already solved the first problem! Meteor will soon be smashed to bits! The plan has already been put in motion. Namely, to

collect huge materia from each region."

"What the hell?" Cid leaned forward in his chair.

Barret looked equally puzzled. "How's that supposed ta-"

"SHH!"

Scarlet had started talking by then. "...high density special type of materia made through a special compression process in Mako reactors. The energy extracted from it is 330 times the strength of normal materia. Kya ha, ha, ha! How about that! We will gather all the huge materia together and ram it into Meteor. That will cause a huge explosion! Reducing Meteor literally to bits."

Kunsel shook his head. "Bad idea."

Rufus didn't sound entirely convinced, either. "You're going to ram Meteor? Do you think we have the technology to do it?"

"Don't worry about that!"

Cid jumped up from his chair. "That's the most important part, ya $*&#!"

"More importantly, we've got to collect huge materia from each area."

Heidegger spoke up at that point. "We've already collected materia from Nibelheim. All that's left is

Corel and Fort Condor, I've already dispatched troops to Corel. Gha hah hah hah!"

"Corel!" Barret's face darkened more than usual as he waved his gun-arm at Cait. "What else can they do to Corel!"

Nanaki ducked under the table to the other side, away from Barret. "I think I've heard of this huge materia. If our materia is brought close to a large one, something should happen. It may be useful in stopping Sephiroth."

"What're you suggestin'?" Cid sat back down. "That we stop ShinRa from tryin' to stop Meteor?"

Kunsel shrugged. "Assuming their plan works. We have no idea how dense Meteor is or how much energy would be needed to blow it up."

"Yeah! They're wasting perfectly good materia!"

Cait peeked around the body of his moogle, making sure Barret wasn't aiming at him before speaking. "Don't forget that even if it does work some o' the pieces may still be large enough to do some serious damage.

Zack stood. "Right. So Aerith and Stella will stay here for now. The rest of us will split into two teams, one to Corel and one to Fort Condor. Once we've gotten the huge materia we'll meet back here."

They argued for a little while over who would be on what team. Once that finally got settled, Aerith insisted on staying until everyone except Zack and Kunsel left the room.

"Come back soon, okay?"

"I will." Zack kissed the top of Aerith's head. "I'm not exactly happy about leaving you so soon, after all."

"Hmm. That's not the only thing you're not happy about. When you come back, I hope you're happier."

Kunsel made himself as inconspicuous as possible behind his stack of files.

* * *

_I finished this chapter with time to spare! Yay! Now to sleep... Oh, wait. I have to work. Dang it!_


	93. Set Up

**Chapter Ninety-Two - Set Up**

_Who am I?_

_Where am I?_

_What am I?_

_No. That can't be me. I wouldn't..._

_Would I? I don't know._

_Don't come any closer!_

*7*7*

Aerith snapped awake. "I'm sorry. I couldn't reach him."

"It's all right." Tifa bowed her head. "I shouldn't have asked this of you."

Aerith shook her head. "That's not it at all. I couldn't reach him because he pushed me out. He's still in there, searching for himself. But he's scared. His mind is in so many pieces and there are parts that don't belong to him mixed in."

"Oh." Tifa hugged her knees.

With some effort, Aerith managed to lean forward enough to hug Tifa. "This is your Cloud. He isn't what Sephiroth claimed."

"I know."

She had thought about it a lot. If his appearance was based on her memories then there were too many differences. The boy she knew had been small, almost scrawny. The man in front of her was still a little short, but he'd grown at least half a foot since then. She'd seen him develop a fighter's build. She remembered him with a fluffy ponytail that as a girl she'd wanted to play with. That ponytail was gone, maybe because of his military service. His face was thinner, his features more mature.

Some of the changes weren't surprising. Anyone would change after seven years. Others... It hurt that with everything that had happened she found herself missing that ponytail.

What hurt more, though, what that the more she tried to remember his personality the more she realized she hardly knew him at all.

Images of a small boy watching from the old well. Black eyes and bandages. A glare directed at some older boys with their own set of wounds.

A chilly winter night under stars so clear they seemed close enough to touch and a promise made in ignorance of the future.

"I know he isn't what Sephiroth said, but that doesn't make him my Cloud."

*7*7*

Kunsel looked up at the uneven cliffs and crumbling slopes surrounding Fort Condor. "You know, I've managed to avoid getting assigned here for the last couple years. The units sent to take the fort back from the rebels tend to not come back."

Cait fidgeted on top of his moogle. "Do you think they'll let us in?"

"We don't exactly look like we work for ShinRa. Just don't make an sudden moves."

"We may not, but your eyes will be hard to hide." Nanaki's skin twitched in an attempt to ward off the flies that had discovered him.

Kunsel nodded. "Yeah. But by the time anyone'll be able to see them we should be close enough to explain why we're here."

They continued along the narrow, rocky path until tunnel in one of the many cliffs came into view. Standing guard at the entrance was one man with tan skin and a white bandana tied around his head.

"Ah!" The man noticed them and jumped a little. For a moment he seemed to hesitate over what to do. "We've been fighting ShinRa for a long time on this battlefield."

Kunsel tipped his head slightly toward Vincent, lowering his voice so no one else would hear. "A rehearsed speech?"

The guard continued without noticing. "Even now, we're settling in for a long war with them. If you aren't in a hurry, would you help us fight them?"

Kunsel grinned. "Funny you should ask. That's exactly what we're here to do."

"Really?" The guard looked like he had just won the biggest prize at the Gold Saucer. "Then go on up and they'll fill you in on the details."

Cait watched the man as they walked passed. "That was a lot easier than I thought."

"It is odd that they would be so trusting of strangers." Nanaki glanced around. "This could be a problem."

The tunnel ended in a round chamber carved from the rock. Against the opposite wall dangled a heavy rope.

"Great." Kunsel shook his head. "They've got to have another way up for supplies. Maybe we should go back and ask."

"No need to go to the trouble. I'm sure whoever is at the top would know." Nanaki examined the wall for a moment. "If I can get a running start I should be able to get up there."

Kunsel stepped ahead. "Thanks for the offer, but I better go. The people here might not take a 'talking animal' calmly."

Nanaki hung his head. "I understand."

Kunsel honestly expected to see more people around when he climbed up. Instead he found himself in a mostly empty courtyard with a raised platform on the opposite side. Next to the platform a middle-aged man in overalls sat at a wooden table. The man looked up as Kunsel approached.

"Hmm, now this is something. I never thought anyone would ever climb up here." The man leaned forward, squinting a bit. "Your eyes are different. Well, anyway, any minute now..."

"This will become a battlefield. I know. My friends and I are here to help, but a couple of us can't easily make it up the way I came. Is there an elevator or something for supplies?"

The man seemed rather taken aback by this. "What sort of friends do you have? No matter, I suppose. We could use all the help we can get. I'll show you where the supplies come in."

*7*7*

The evening sun cast long shadows over the valley surrounding the Corel reactor. Unfortunately, these shadows were in the wrong direction as far as the guards were concerned. They could barely make out the basic shape of the person approaching them. Tall, broad shoulders...

Glowing eyes.

"ATTENTION! Which one of you is the CO?"

Three of the guards stepped back as one, leaving one with a red scarf front and center.

"We weren't expecting back-up on this assignment, sir!"

"I'm not back-up. I'm your replacement."

"Sir?"

"You are being relieved! Do. You. Under. Stand?"

"Yes, sir!" The guards saluted and ran.

Cid stepped out from behind a nearby machine rig. "Didn't think you'd be able to pull that off."

"Had this drill instructor back in basic who everyone swore ate privates for breakfast with a glass of raw mako." Zack grinned. "I always thought it was funny that everyone was scared of the guy, but I seem to be the only one who wasn't affected."

Both Barret and Cid stared at Zack out of the corners of their eyes. They also decided to walk a couple extra paces behind him.

* * *

_I am so sorry this is late! There's this heat wave and I'm pretty sure my brain's starting to melt. I can barely stay awake, never mind type. So this is both late and short. Hopefully it's entertaining. I'm not even sure if it's legible. It makes sense to me, but my brain is goop._


	94. Wildflower

**Chapter Ninty-Three - Wildflower**

The boom and rattle of train engines echoed through the loading station inside the Corel reactor. It was almost enough to drown out the scrape of cargo pallets and clank of combat boots on metal grating.

It definitely wasn't enough to drown out one irate engineer.

"You idiots need an experienced operator at the controls!"

The corporal who'd been put in charge of loading and securing the cargo turned just enough to see the old engineer from the edge of his visor. "Our orders are direct from Heidegger. 'No non-combatants on the mission.'"

"I'm in the corp of engineers!"

"And when was the last time you saw combat, old man?" The corporal all but laughed. "We've got some dangerous fugitives to watch out for. You'd only get in our way."

The engineer huffed but didn't protest further as the corporal turned to board the train along with the rest of his unit.

"If I'd said that, you'd have me scrubbin' toilets for a month."

The engineer spun around. When he saw the source of the voice he broke out in a huge grin. "Highwind, you bandy legged grease monkey! What're you doin' here? Last I heard you were mopin' around 'cause your precious space program got canned."

Cid returned the grin and a firm handshake. "Got tired of it, so I figured I might as well let ShinRa know how I feel."

"Is that so." The engineer glanced over Cid's shoulder at the two men standing just inside the shadows. After a moment he shrugged. "Maybe I am gettin' old. Ain't my job to see who gets on this train."

Cid gave his old CO a lazy salute. "I owe ya one."

The engineer simply waved as he walked away. "Just give 'em hell for me."

*7*7*

High on the very tip of a spire of rock sat Yuffie. She would have appeared to be meditating if she weren't humming to herself and swaying from side to side. Finally, she stopped and pressed a button on her phone. It barely rang once before someone picked up.

_"Zack here."_

"I'm boooooored!" Yuffie put all her stored up pouting into her voice. "Aren't you done yet?"

_"For the love of... It's been five minutes!"_

"I know! That's plenty of time, isn't it? There's no way those ShinRa creeps are sending back up."

She heard what sounded like gunshots and muffled swearing from the other end of the line. _"We'll be done soon. Just sit tight and __**don't move**__ until we come for you."_

Yuffie scowled. "Fine! But it's your fault if I get eaten!" She snapped her phone shut in a huffed.

*7*7*

Zack didn't look away from his phone even while back-handing a trooper off the engine car. "Maybe having her stand lookout wasn't such a great idea."

"You'd rather take her with us?" Cid snorted. "For a ninja, that girl wouldn't know subtle if it came up and bit her in the ass."

"And we would?" Zack finally pocketed his phone so he could assign most of his focus to the incoming monsters. "Have you figured out how to stop this thing yet?"

"Gimme a %$#^ minute!"

"If this train hits Corel I'm gonna kick your ass inta orbit!"

"Keep yer shirt on! Lessee. I tried that one, so it's gotta be one o' these two..."

The train suddenly lurched forward.

"It's goin' faster, ya idiot!"

"I can tell that!"

"Hey! Focus!" Zack fired a lightning bolt at what looked like a giant suit of armor. "I can't believe I said that."

"Hang on ta somethin'!" Cid didn't give them time to even try before dropping all his weight down on the last remaining lever.

Metal shrieked and curtains of sparks flew up from the wheels. Zack managed to catch Barret before he flew back into the controls.

The monster wasn't so lucky. It stumbled forward, its size and center of balance making it hard to regain its footing. One last-ditch effort to grab the side of the train car and it fell to the cliffs below.

"Whew! Okay. Let's find the huge materia and get out of here."

Cid nodded. "Ya got any idea what we're gonna do with it?"

"For now, nothing." Zack examined the lock on the first car. "Do you think your friend would mind if I break a few things?"

"He might." Cid elbowed his way past Zack to take his own look at the lock. He almost immediately huffed and pulled out a small tool kit.

*7*7*

Dr. Beck glanced up when he heard the familiar creak of a wheelchair. "Ah, Aerith, what can I do for you?"

Stella pushed her a little closer. Her hands were folded neatly in her lap. "I was wondering if you have any materia with the sleep spell."

"No. But I do have some dream powder. Why?"

Aerith's smile seemed almost too sweet. "Tifa needs some rest, but she refuses."

Dr. Beck looked from Aerith to Stella. He certainly couldn't argue the point. The last thing he needed was another patient. Though Aerith tried to reach for the bottle he offered, her hands shook and twitched. Instead, he gave the bottle to Stella.

*7*7*

There wasn't anything for her to do. The nurse had helped her get Cloud into bed half an hour ago. All she could do was sit by his bedside and watch him.

Or fall asleep, but she didn't like that idea.

Even as she considered it, she felt her eyelids droop. She tried to fight it off, but she didn't have the energy anymore.

When did the hospital room start smelling like flowers?

*7*7*

Aerith took a moment to look around her field of flowers. At the edge of the white haze she could make out another field, one of rocks and low shrubs with spiked leaves. "I'm sorry."

"Why?" Tifa's eyes grew wide as she tried to take in the landscape. Or lack there of. "Where are we?"

"I'm not entirely sure. It's a little like when I talked to Cloud, but different. I wanted to try this with someone who wasn't him."

"Do you think it might help bring him back?"

"Maybe. I can definitely tell that you and Cloud aren't the same, but that's pretty obvious on the outside, too." Aerith giggled. "Oh, look! I can walk here!" She took several long steps away from Tifa before clasping her hands behind her back and bouncing on her toes. "You know, when Cloud pulled me in here, everything was covered with tiny little mountain flowers. The sort of things no one really pays much attention to but can survive just about anything."

"That... does sound like Cloud."

Aerith looked over her shoulder. "If you wanted a garden full of wildflowers, what would you do?"

"I..." Tifa blinked. "I don't know."

"Hmm. It's something to think about, isn't it?"

With that, the landscape faded.

* * *

_In case you're wondering, there is an answer to Aerith's question. I know what I have in mind, but what answer would you give?_

_Oh, and sorry the chapter's short. Again. It's been an interesting week._


	95. Materia of Unusual Size

_Guest: Thanks for the review! Would you mind signing a name of some sort? It gets confusing when there's more than one guest. ^_^_

_That said... Yep. Cid knows a lot of people. And he seems to be generally well liked for reasons I don't quite understand. (I think he's awesome, but I don't have to be in the same room as him.) And thanks! I can use all the luck I can get!_

* * *

**Chapter Ninety-Four - Materia of Unusual Size**

Kunsel's phone snapped shut as he neared the door into the lookout post. Inside he found Vincent and a very nervous villager.

"Zack's team recovered the huge materia from North Corel. They'll be here in the morning."

Vincent nodded, just barely. "There's movement at the base of the cliffs east of here. Nanaki has gone down to determine what forces we may be facing."

"Hopefully there won't be anything that's immune to falling rocks. Where's Cait?"

"Finding out what materia these people have."

"Probably not much. So far it seems like the only thing this place has going for it is its defensive position. Uh, no offense." Kunsel directed that last part to the villager.

"None taken. We consider ourselves lucky to have lasted this long."

Kunsel leaned out the window, taking in the wasteland of cliffs and gullies illuminated by the fading light of sunset. There were many spots where traps could be set.

"They'll probably attack early. We should get as much set up now as possible."

*7*7*

When Tifa woke up everything was dark except for a faint pool of moonlight from the window. Someone had moved her to a futon next to Cloud's bed.

Cloud.

She jerked up, eyes fixed on the lump under the bedsheets.

"Yes, he's still there."

Tifa almost jumped at the voice, until her still tired brain identified the source as Stella. The old nurse sat in a chair near the door.

"You've been watching him?"

Stella laughed quietly. "I've been watching you, dear. When was the last time you had a proper night's sleep?"

"I..." She couldn't think of an answer. "There's too much to do."

"Yes, yes. Saving the world and all that. Well you won't be saving the world if you die of exhaustion, now will you? So unless there's something urgent that can be dealt with here or in the restroom I suggest you go back to sleep."

There wasn't, but she couldn't bring herself to lay down quite yet. Again, Tifa looked at Cloud. "If you wanted to grow wildflowers, what would you do?"

Stella laughed again. "I'm the wrong person to ask. We don't have gardens in Icicle Inn. But I suppose the start would be the same as growing any sort of plant. You need the right sort of soil."

If that's what Aerith meant, Tifa still didn't understand what she was supposed to do.

*7*7*

People were strange sometimes. A month ago the people of Corel treated Barret like he was single-handedly responsible for everything bad in their lives. Now they treated him like a hero.

Which was great, just a little weird.

So while they were getting ready to leave early the next morning, Zack felt the need to make Barret an offer.

"You can stay if you want. Help these people, uh, dig their giant hole or something."

Barret snorted. "Thanks, but I got a job to do an' there ain't no way I'm backin' out till it's finished."

"Not like movin' underground'd help any if Meteor does fall." Cid opened the door to the Highwind's interior with a mock bow. "You ladies ready to get this show on the road?"

"Ooooog." Yuffie made sure to slide down a portion of the hull in full view of everyone. "I'm stayin' out here. Just thinking about this thing moving has me... _urk!_"

Cid muttered about how she wouldn't be sick if she didn't think about it and what he'd do to her if she made a mess on his baby. Zack promised to come up later with a tranquilizer and some digestive pills.

*7*7*

Kunsel looked down at the mob of monsters clambering up the mountain despite the rock falls and flaming projectiles. "Looks like someone with some brains is running this mission."

"What do you mean?" Nanaki set his front paws on the window ledge so he could look out as well.

"Monsters are cheap, and if they happen to do the armies job for them that saves a lot of effort."

Vincent's eyes narrowed just slightly. "Aside from clean up."

"Speakin' of..." The way Cait danced on top of his moogle, the others would have thought he needed to use a toilet if he had the equipment for it. "Those things are doin' a pretty good job of cleanin' up our defenses."

A masterful understatement on Cait's part. The lead monsters, mostly grand horns and some things that might have been dragons if they were bigger and had the right number of limbs, were already tearing into the catapults closest to the equipment shed turned lookout post.

Kunsel motioned toward the door before jumping out the window.

The dragon-like things went down easily. What gave them a bit of a challenge were the grand horns. Kunsel kicked off one, back-flipping onto another just before Vincent shot the first in the head.

Cait stayed back, preferring to cast spells from a relatively safe distance.

"Nanaki!" Kunsel pointed down the mountain. "See if they've sent any troops up yet!"

Barely a second later one of the grand horns made the mistake of pinning Vincent. Dark energy swirled around him until he was replaced by a grey-skinned creature wearing a featureless mask and wielding some sort of chainsaw.

Kunsel only paid enough attention to keep out of the thing's way as it cut a bloody swath through the remaining monsters. He tossed the corpse of his latest kill over the cliff. It rolled over a couple of the dragon-like things before crunching up against an exposed pipe.

Untold number down, two to go. Finally.

Nanaki returned in time to take out a small monster that had tried to sneak up behind Cait. "There do not appear to be any human combatants."

"Huh. Forget what I said about the guy in charge having brains."

The dark energy swallowed the creature, leaving Vincent in its place. "Perhaps they retreated when it became clear their first wave failed."

Kunsel wiped off his sword before reattaching it to his back. "Whatever the case, at least we've bought enough time to get the huge materia out of here."

They went back inside with the idea of getting the huge materia from the reactor and leaving. That didn't quite happen. One of the villagers started congratulating them when a burst of light flooded the area. Before getting blinded, Kunsel got the impression that it came from the top of the reactor.

And he wasn't the only one.

"The nest!" The villager ran to the window. Not that it was necessary. They all saw the huge mass of feathers plummet down the mountain. "The condor. The eggs."

Kunsel blinked away the last of the floating dots in his eyes. "Cait, go check on the eggs. The rest of us will go get the huge materia."

"Why me?"

"Because you don't smell like food. And while you're up there see if you can spot the Highwind."

*7*7*

When Zack's group arrived there were two pieces of materia to store. A three-foot piece of huge materia and a new summon.

"Hey, cool. This'll replace the phoenix I lost."

Kunsel turned away from the box he'd put the huge materia in. "When did you get a phoenix?"

"Nibelheim." Zack frowned at the memory. "A kid there was telling me about these mysteries around the village. One of them involved red water from the well. Turned out there was a summon in there."

"Were the people drinking that water?"

"Dunno. I wouldn't unless I had to."

"If they did, maybe that's what kept enough of them alive to... become copies."

Silence fell after that. No one spoke again until Cid, ignorant of the direction the conversation had taken, suggested heading back to Mideel. No one objected. They were all worried about the girls. Some more than others.

The trip didn't take long. Even Yuffie didn't have much to complain about once they landed. They all headed straight for the clinic.

Dr. Beck's nurse met them at the door. "You're back. I'm afraid his condition hasn't changed, but you're welcome to visit as long as you like. It might do Tifa and Aerith some good if nothing else."

"I'll check on Aerith first." Zack wanted to see Cloud, but he didn't want to see him like that.

There were too many for all of them to crowd into Cloud's room, anyway. Barret insisted on going first so he could check up on Tifa. He found her standing in front of Cloud with a damp washcloth in one hand.

"I don't know what to do, Cloud. Aerith seems to think you need better soil, but I don't know what that means. Or even if that's what Aerith meant."

"Yo!"

Tifa jerked around. "Barret! When did you get here?"

"Jes' now. Wanted ta make sure ya weren't... Wha' the hell?" Barret nearly pitched forward as the clinic pitched in every other direction.

Tifa grabbed hold of Cloud's wheelchair for some semblance of support. She had no idea that action would put her in the best position to hear Cloud's first words in over a week.

"They... They're... coming...!"

"What?"

"Hey, did Spikey say sum'in'? Damn. You stay here!" Barret lumbered out of the room. Everyone else was headed out, too.

Though one person didn't seem that concerned about the earthquake.

Zack grabbed Barret's shoulder. "Did Cloud wake up just now?"

"Wha'? No. Why'd ya ask?"

"'Cause... Never mind. I can check on it later. Whoa!"

Visible above the trees was a huge geyser of Lifestream. And another. And another.

"Zack!" Aerith clung to the door-frame of the clinic. Tifa stood beside her ready to catch the flower girl if her legs gave out.

"Inside! Both of you! And Aerith, don't you _dare_ try walking again until the ground stops moving!"

Aerith might have protested, except another tremor almost sent her flying out onto the porch. Tifa pulled her inside. The next tremor sent both of them into Aerith's wheelchair.

"We can't stay here!" Tifa slipped out from under Aerith.

Aerith pointed a shaky finger at the window. "We aren't going out there, either."

* * *

_Because I want to get the first fight with Ultima Weapon just right, I'm putting it off until the next chapter. At least this chapter is a little longer than before, right?_

_Anyway, I noticed that no one commented on what Cid's old CO called him. Maybe it wasn't that interesting, or the definition of bandy legged isn't quite as wellknown as I thought._

_Or maybe Cid being bowlegged is more wellknown than I thought._


	96. In a Hand Basket

_Guest1: Ha! You caught it! HEHEHE_

_SapphyreMyst: If you log on and then use the 'back' button to go to the page you were on you have to refresh the page to review as a signed-in user. And it would make sense. There's a lot of exposed mako in that area. The real question is how it got in the well. Questions will be answered! Maybe. I can't wait to see my take on it, too. Sometimes I think the characters have more control over this story than I do._

* * *

**Chapter Ninety-Five - In a Hand Basket**

A huge creature that looked like a cross between a centaur and a dragon circled the town square. Each pass brought it a little lower.

Cid cursed hard even for him. "What's it $%*%& doin' here?"

"You think I'd know?" Zack drew his sword. "Get ready!"

The words barely left his mouth before the Weapon swooped in low. The cavity in its chest glowed blue as it built up energy. Moments later the town square exploded in blue light.

Zack burst out of the fading attack already swinging. The Weapon screamed.

A small wound opened in the Weapon's shoulder. Yuffie caught her shuriken in midair.

Vincent and Barret laid down cover fire. Again the Weapon screamed.

This time, though, a dark ball of energy shot out of its mouth. Zack stood closest when it burst.

He'd been avoiding using limit breaks throughout the journey. He was able to get away with it, but in this fight he feared that if he didn't someone would die.

He ran forward, one limit break in particular on his mind. He was certain Cloud wouldn't mind.

Except something shifted. Zack's eyes widened as his aura changed from gold to red.

_No. Not here. Not now._

_**Show me the true power of SOLDIER!**_

_Mind your own business!_

Zack felt himself rise above the ground. A complex series of rings with glowing red runes similar to a summoning circle appeared under the Weapon. With no regard for his own wishes, his right hand shot above his head.

That last motion set off the runes. Waves of energy punched through the Weapon.

It screamed. Even as Zack dropped it took flight.

No one really paid much attention to their escaping enemy. They were all too busy staring at Zack. All except Vincent and Kunsel.

Zack rubbed the back of his neck. "So, uh, I guess the earthquake stopped."

True. Though no one had noticed until Zack pointed it out. It hardly seemed important.

Yuffie pointed straight at him. "That thing you did just now! What was that? Are you hiding some super cool materia from me?"

"Uh... Well..." Zack didn't have a good explanation. To be honest, he'd hoped he wouldn't need one.

For the time being, the planet gave him an excuse not to answer in the worst way possible.

"What the $&^#* $#&*^#! It's startin' up again!"

Kunsel grabbed Yuffie before she could fall into him. "After shocks?"

"It doesn't feel like it." Nanaki was the only one who wasn't having a problem staying upright.

As if to drive the point home, a geyser swallowed one of the nearby stores.

Zack went straight into leader mode. "Cid! Get back to the airship and get it ready to fly! Everyone else help as many people as you can! But don't get yourselves killed! I'm going back for Cloud and the girls!"

"Why are they 'the girls?' I'm a girl, too!"

"Not now!" Kunsel dragged Yuffie toward one of the residential streets.

*7*7*

Zack very nearly collided with Cloud's wheelchair at the door to the clinic. At his sudden appearance, Tifa let out a small squeak.

"Where's Aerith?"

"Right here." The girl in question waved from behind Tifa. "Stella's here, too. Dr. Beck and his nurse are going out the back so they can pick up emergency supplies."

Zack stepped out of the way so they could pass. "Is there anyone else in there? We've got to get out of here now."

No argument there. Tifa and Cloud took the lead while Zack grabbed the duffel bag Stella had been carrying. Cracks were already starting to open up in the town square.

Then everything went straight to hell.

* * *

_I'm so sorry! This chapter is so short and yet this is what I was able to get out. Well, I have a bit more, but not enough to make much sense and this is a much better cliffhanger than the next scene fragment would be. The next chapter may be kinda surreal, by the way. You have been warned._


	97. Rebuilding a Mind

**Chapter Ninety-Six - Rebuilding a Mind**

"ZACK!"

She couldn't stand. She could barely crawl. She certainly couldn't stop him.

And he probably didn't think twice. As soon as she and Stella were on relatively solid ground he turned and dived into the Lifestream.

She didn't blame him. She couldn't. Cloud and Tifa were down there. Yet a large, anxious part of her felt almost abandoned.

Again.

"No!" Her fingers dug into the ground near where the town had been. Where now there was only fragments of houses and a huge lake of seething Lifestream. She could hear the dead return to the planet, the nearly dead fight to stay alive, the wounded wondering if perhaps they'd be better off dead.

So much loss. For what? What was the planet doing? What did it want?

_Please. I don't want anyone else to die._

She cried, and the sky cried with her. No clouds could be seen, yet still the rain fell. Water seemed to flow from everywhere and nowhere.

Then someone gasped. A man with an ugly wound down his leg sat out in the open. The rain hit his exposed flesh, but instead of more pain the skin and muscle grew back as if it had never been damaged. On others, bruises and cuts disappeared in a shimmer of green light. Those who no one had expected to walk again jumped up laughing.

Only a few were aware of the young woman whose tears mingled with the healing water flowing back into the Lifestream.

*7*7*

He stood on a broken fragment of ground. One of many floating in the screaming green void. This really was the end of everything. And he helped bring it.

"Cloud!"

His name. Or what he thought might be his name. He turned and saw a dear friend run toward him over the pieces of ground.

"You shouldn't be here."

Zack stopped mere feet from him. "Neither should you. Once we find Tifa we can go."

"Tifa?" She was here too? Yes. He could hear her, faintly. She was calling for him.

"She's worried about you, you know. Hell, so am I. It's not easy seeing you like that again."

"Sorry."

"It's not your fault."

He turned away. "It is. I gave Sephiroth the black materia. I... I'm not even sure I'm real."

"Well I am." Zack grabbed his shoulder and turned him around. The height difference was so much greater than he remembered it, but then he was as he would have been seven years ago while Zack remained the same as now. "You're Cloud. No question about it."

He bowed his head. "How can you be so sure? Even if I am Cloud, after what I did, how can..."

He couldn't finish, and for a moment Zack didn't answer.

"Cloud, do you remember how we met?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah, mostly."

Zack sat down and motioned for him to do the same. "Tell me about it. From the beginning."

As it turned out, he didn't have to talk much. He remembered and the void shifted in response.

The mountain, the snow, Zack's cheerful chatter.

"You were... nice. I never expected a SOLDIER, let alone a first class, to notice me. I had already failed the test once and wasn't feeling very confident about passing a second one."

"I hope I gave you some confidence."

"It didn't help. I failed. Three times."

"Then whoever was grading the test needs to get his head examined." Zack shook his head. "We're getting off topic. Do you remember what happened next?"

"I think so." The scene shifted to a cliff overlooking what was supposed to be an abandoned excavation site. Yet there were troops there dressed like ShinRa infantry except for the red color. Some of them looked sick.

"We were supposed to go to Modeoheim, but the Turk with us... Tseng? It was Tseng. He agreed to let you check out the excavation site. I followed."

A confused jumble of scenes followed. Sneaking into the main building. Fights with the red-clad troopers and some oddly human-looking monsters. Then an encounter with a man in a red coat and one black wing. A fat man in a lab coat tried to run away.

"I couldn't even hold onto one out-of-shape scientist. He got away while you fought the man in the red coat."

"Genesis. Those guys before were his copies." Zack looked down at him, his gaze hard and unwavering. "And you're nothing like them. I've fought them a lot. They used to be normal troopers and SOLDIERs but had their free will stripped away. Genesis was able to copy his traits onto them and control them. You're still you. Sephiroth had to trick you into giving up."

"He didn't have to do that at the Temple of the Ancients."

Zack couldn't argue with that. "You fought him, though. I've never seen a copy do that."

"I should have fought him sooner. I was too weak. Always too weak."

The scene shifted again. This time to inside the bathhouse in Modeohiem. Two white monsters with crumpled wings attacked him and Tseng. He shot one before the other knocked him into a wall. The scene went fuzzy as a tall man in a SOLDIER first uniform seemed to float out of the ceiling.

"Angeal."

He cocked his head to look at Zack. "Who?"

"My mentor. He was my friend, too. He taught me how to be a SOLDIER. About honor and dreams." Zack laughed, but it sounded sad. "He put up with me even when I couldn't focus on anything for more than a minute."

"I don't remember him."

"He wasn't anywhere near as famous as Sephiroth. Even Genesis was more well known. And by the time you joined ShinRa he'd..." Zack drifted off, watching as the scene cleared. "Do you remember what the mission was for?"

He watched, too, as the memory-Zack asked if he was all right. "I was told there was a rogue SOLDIER with some stolen ShinRa tech. That's all."

"Genesis and Hollander stole some equipment necessary for making copies. Angeal joined them later." Zack held his, Angeal's, sword up. "He told me that our enemy is all that creates suffering."

"ShinRa?"

Zack shook his head. "Himself." They watched as the scene shifted through the memories. Zack returning from the bath house grim and wounded, the Buster sword on his back. "He believed he was a monster. He made me fight him... kill him." Zack took a deep breath. "I understand why, now, but I still wish everyday that it could've been different."

"And now the monster is Sephiroth. And me..."

"No!" Zack grabbed his shoulders. "Angeal was wrong! He wasn't a monster! He let himself become one by giving up!"

_"You only fail if you give up."_

Aerith. Her garden.

"I gave up."

Zack stood, his fists on his hips. "Then try again! Give yourself a second chance!"

How? How was he supposed to do that?

"Tifa." He stood and stared out into the void. "I have to find her."

"Yeah. I'd help, but I can't seem to hear her."

They were drifting apart. He didn't fight it, because he was drifting closer to her.

*7*7*

_..._

"Cloud."

_..._

"Cloud!"

"Tifa."

Broken ground appeared. Pieces of a familiar landscape scattered across a swirling backdrop of green. Shadows in the shape of the person she sought appeared at the corners of her eyes but disappeared when she tried to look.

"Cloud? Where are you? Is... Is this a dream? Or your consciousness? You're searching for yourself, aren't you?"

"Yeah." A small boy in a white t-shirt and blue shorts appeared on one of the higher pieces of ground. His unruly crest of feathery gold hair betrayed his identity without need of an introduction. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this mess."

"I came willingly. You know that."

He nodded. "I'm still sorry. If I had been stronger. If I had been able to resist just a little more..."

"If I had known what to say then instead of hiding..." She bowed her head. "We both made mistakes. There isn't anything we can do about that. What we can do is try to move forward."

"How?"

"I'm not sure. Aerith said something about growing wildflowers but I still don't know what she meant." She looked around then. The ground nearest them was dry and full of stones. Mostly pieces of cobble from a road, or maybe a town square.

He looked around, too. "There were wildflowers behind your house."

She stared at him then. Their houses had been next to each other, but what passed for backyards had been separated by tall stones. Far too tall for someone of Cloud's stature to see over. "Yes. Mama tried to plant vegetables, but all that thrived were weeds. How did you know?"

"I'm good at climbing. I had to be, if I wanted to see anything."

She managed to laugh at that. "I remember you spent a lot of time on top of the well, even though it was off limits. Though I don't remember seeing you behind my house."

"After that day I couldn't go to the well as often. I knew I was being watched, so I was careful not to be seen."

"'That day?'"

He shook his head. "It's fine if you don't remember. There was a lot going on then."

"I wish did remember. I wish I could say for certain that you were in Nibelheim five years ago. Even so, I want to help you find yourself."

"Just like Zack. What if I'm not the person you think I am?"

"Then I'll find out who you are." She knelt so she could look him in the eye. "But I do know one thing. You're not Sephiroth's shadow."

"How can you know that?"

Because she felt it. Not that it would make a convincing argument. She looked around for something she could use. "There. That's the road into Nibelheim." She lead him up to that fragment. "There's the only truck in town, and gramp's inn. It's all exactly as I remember it."

"It would be, if I copied your memories."

"That's... true..." It certainly wouldn't make this any easier. They wandered until she spotted the old well sitting under a starry sky.

Somehow, he had arrived ahead of her. Now he didn't look like a child but rather a young teen in baggy clothes and a short, fluffy ponytail. Just as he had that night.

"That starry night at the well... And our promise that night... What if the memory was just a lie?" He sat down where he had that night. Slowly, a younger version of Tifa appeared a couple feet away.

"Did you imagine these stars? I was wearing these clothes, too. It feels to real to be fake." She sat down next to her smaller double. "You were so small then... And cute..." She ducked her head out of habit to hide her blush, so she didn't see the same thing happen to him. "This isn't enough, is it? I believe you're the Cloud from Nibelheim, but you don't believe in yourself. Memories have to be consciously recalled and sometimes there are mistakes. Something deeper... The feelings associated with memories..."

He looked up at her, waiting to learn what she meant.

"Come to think of it, why did you want to join SOLDIER in the first place? I always thought it was a sudden decision you made."

His eyes wandered up to stare at the sky. "I was devastated... I wanted to be notice. I thought if I got stronger I could get someone to notice."

"To get noticed? By who?"

_Who? You know who!_

"You."

"Me?! Why?" She jumped to her feet as the landscape faded to bare rock.

His teenage self vanished with the scenery, replaced by the child. "You really did forget."

"I'm sorry. I really don't know what you're talking about."

He looked away, toward the vast expanse of green. "No... It's all right. You had it so hard, it's no wonder you don't remember me."

"Can you tell me about it?"

"You can. It's a very important memory to me." He lead the way across a path of floating stones to what seemed to be the wall of a house with a window in it. "Do you know where this window leads?" When she shook her head he shrugged. "Fine... Let's go."

They passed through the wall and suddenly she knew exactly where they were.

"My room."

At the foot of her bed sat a small version of herself surrounded by her friends. Her smaller self seemed to be crying.

He stood next to her current self, taking in the scene with a solemn gaze. "This was the first time I'd been in your room. I used to always look in from outside."

"It was?" She knew then that at least part of this memory was borrowed from her, because she could see him walking toward the house from the window. Still, the first time he'd ever been in her room? "That's right. We lived next to each other but I really didn't know you that well. I've known you since we were children and always thought we were close... but I don't remember you ever being in my room."

He pointed to the children trying to comfort her child-self. "You used to always be with this three-some."

"That's right."

"I used to think..." He turned away then. "They were all stupid."

She spun on him. "What?!"

"You were all childish, laughing at every little stupid thing."

She huffed. "But we _were_ children, back then."

He hung his head. "...I know. I'm the one who was stupid. I really wanted to play with everyone, but I was never allowed into the group. Then later... I began to think I was different... That I was different from those immature kids. That then... maybe..."

A shadow stood in the corner. "Maybe, they'd invite me... I thought it might happen, so I hung around..."

"I was so prejudiced. And...weak."

The shadow spoke again. "That night I called Tifa out to the well... I thought Tifa would never come... that she hated me."

She thought for a moment. "Yeah, it did seem quite sudden. I was really surprised. But... even though we weren't close before, after you left town I thought about you a lot. I wondered how you were doing. If you had gotten into SOLDIER. I started reading the newspapers, thinking there might be a story about you."

"Thanks, Tifa." He smiled a little. "Tell him that later. I'm sure he'll be happy to hear it."

"Okay!" She smiled, too, until she remembered where they were. "What happened on this day? Was it special?"

He looked up at her, any happiness he felt before completely gone. Even without him speaking, she knew what he was about to say. "This was the day..."

"...The day Mom died."

Her child-self sobbed. "I... want to see Mom!" She ran out of the room, nearly trampling a certain blond-haired boy in the process."

They followed the children up into the mountains. Her child-self stopped near where the path became uneven and narrow.

"I wonder what's beyond that mountain?"

One of the kids fidgeted more than the others. "Mt. Nibel is scary. Many people have died there. No one crosses that mountain alive..."

"But what about those who died?Did mama pass through the mountain?" Her child-self looked determined at the fog-shrouded peaks. "I'm going!"

One by one her friends ran back to town. All but one small boy.

The shadow appeared again. "I don't remember the path I walked. Tifa missed her step. I ran

to her... but didn't make it in time. Both of us fell off the cliff. Back then, I only scarred my knees but..."

Everything turned white as he spoke. Two small figures appeared. The girl didn't move even while the boy sat up. Two adults ran up. Her father and a man she only vaguely remembered. The other man picked her up while her father turned to the boy.

"Cloud! Why'd you bring Tifa to a place like this!"

The other man glared at the boy. "What the hell's the matter with you!?"

Her father pointed to the unconscious girl. "What if she dies!?"

They left him alone.

"Tifa was in a coma for seven days. We all thought she wouldn't make it."

"If only I could've saved her... I was so angry... Angry at myself for my weakness."

"Ever since then, I felt Tifa blamed me... I got out of control... I'd get into fights not even caring who it was. That was the first time I heard about Sephiroth. If I got strong like Sephiroth, then everyone might..."

The shadow stepped forward. "If I could get stronger... Then even Tifa would have to notice me..."

"So that's it." She looked from his child-self to his shadow as they returned to the field of broken ground. "I'm sorry. If I had only remembered more clearly what happened I could have done something sooner."

"It's not your fault, Tifa."

She started to shake her head when a realization came to her. "But I remember now! And the things you told me, they were things only you would know! You didn't just copy memories from me and Zack! I'm sure of it!"

He nodded. The shadow stepped into him, flickering until he appeared as a young teen. "But if I'm the Cloud you knew, then how did I survive?"

"I don't know. I think Kunsel was trying to work that out when we lost you."

"Then Zack might know." He held out his hand. "Let's go to him."

She expected him to lead her out of the Lifestream. She had no idea that Zack was in there with them.

Zack grinned when he saw them. "All right! Now we can get out of here."

"I want to ask a question first." He looked to Tifa for support before continuing. "How did I survive what happened in Nibelheim?"

Zack scratched the back of his head. "Specifically? No idea. But I've seen your service record. Parts of it, anyway. You're a lot tougher than you give yourself credit for."

His face fell, though it only lasted a moment before Zack spoke again.

"If it's that important to you, then wake up and find the answers for yourself."

He looked from Zack to Tifa. Finally, he nodded.

* * *

_And that's the end of the Lifestream sequence! Probably. They still have to actually __**leave**__ the Lifestream, after all._

_Whew! Almost didn't get this chapter done on time. Been a busy week. Though busy in a good way. My sister has bunnies! Little wild ones that were raised by humans since before their eyes were opened. They're remarkably tame. They're shy, of course, but also very curious. They flinch at being touched until they get used to where they are and then they settle down to enjoy the security. Hmm. Kinda reminds me of a character..._


	98. Return

_Seems someone claiming to be Zack Fair reviewed my story. I'm honored._

**Chapter Ninety-Seven - Return**

The rain had stopped a little while ago. Kunsel had picked Aerith up and set her in a chair Stella had found. Barret blustered about, alternating between worry for Tifa and wanting to get back to fighting ShinRa. Everyone else sat quietly by the edge of the mako lake. Though some were more quiet than others.

Yuffie shuffled closer to Aerith's chair. "Hey, don't worry 'bout Zack, okay? He's really tough. You should've seen some of the monsters he fought while helping me hunt for treasure. Like these ugly gargoyle things that cast gravity every couple seconds and some weird bouncy balls that shoot lightning, those were really nasty. I think they were made out of gelatin because they didn't really react to being hit. Like ever. Besides, Cloud survived before, right? So there's no way Zack's going down from this."

Aerith smiled. While the thought of Zack facing so many dangerous monsters wasn't a pleasant one, she knew the little ninja was trying to help.

"Something's coming." Nanaki stood, his ears and nose pointed at a spot near the shore.

Everyone stared as a dark shape started to form under the surface. Seconds later a soaked head of black hair broke the surface. Zack pulled Tifa then Cloud onto relatively dry ground before crawling out himself.

"Zack!"

"Tifa!"

"Cloud!"

No one really knew who to go to first. Both Cloud and Tifa were unconscious but Zack looked like he could fall over at any moment.

Still, he managed a faint grin. "Really hope I never have to do that again."

That got everyone moving. Stella, having actual medical experience, took charge of making sure Cloud and Tifa were moved safely to the Highwind. Barret hovered over Tifa the entire way like a huge, black, (and possibly rabid) mother chocobo. Soon only Yuffie, Nanaki, Kunsel, Aerith, and Zack were left by the bank, and Zack was only there because he hadn't quite gotten his legs to cooperate with his brain.

Aerith stood and managed three stepps before her own legs gave out. Zack caught her by the shoulder but when she reached to hug him he shook his head.

"I'm kinda soaked right now. Let me take a shower first, okay?"

"So you want to get even more wet?"

"I want to get the mako off me!" He eased her down so he could let go. His hands went straight to his hair as he tried to shake the planet's essence out. "And everything itches!" Less than a second later he'd shed his suspenders and had his shirt pulled halfway up.

"Whoa!" Kunsel made a weak attempt to pull the shirt back down. "Don't you think you should do that somewhere else?"

Yuffie glared at him. "Leave him alone!"

Nanaki closed his eyes. "As you are not his mate, I doubt you have any say in this matter."

Though Yuffie looked like she was trying to come up with a retort, anything she might have thought of was cut off by Kunsel ordering her to help Aerith stand.

Zack looked somewhere between drunk and confused while Kunsel helped him up. "Is that a good idea? I mean, she's got, uh, problems... moving..."

"Not now. She's just weak from not moving much for so long." When Zack's confusion deepened, Kunsel added, "Later."

Aerith wasn't sure if she should giggle. Zack just looked so cute, but she knew a lot of his confusion had to be from exposure to so much concentrated Lifestream. Still, a part of her agreed with Yuffie in wishing that Zack had been allowed to take off his shirt.

*7*7*

The first thing Cloud saw on waking up was a cartoonish cat face much too close for comfort.

"AAAA!"

"Crivvey! Don't scare me like that, laddie!"

"Me?! You..." Cloud found himself at a loss for words. Until his surroundings registered. Metal walls, a thin cot, the lingering smell of tobacco... "We're on the Highwind."

"Aye! And sorry for that. Ye were makin' faces in yer sleep so I was tryin' to see if there was anythin' wrong."

"Tifa? Zack?"

"Tifa woke up a little while ago. Stella's checkin' her out now. Zack's with Aerith, which is the only reason he isn't here frettin' over ye."

As if he should have expected him to fret, or deserved such attention.

He may have accepted that he was himself, and that he'd try to earn some forgiveness, but that didn't mean he thought he deserved any yet.

"Ye goin' to be all right?" Cait leaned forward to get a better look at Cloud's face. "I may not understand what all is goin' on, but if ye wanna talk about it I'm all ears." He wiggled his over sized audio receivers for emphasis.

Cloud just laid his head back on the board pretending to be a pillow. He heard Cait hop off the bed onto his moogle. The little robot was almost to the door before he thought of something to say.

"Cait, sometimes you talk as if you're... almost alive. You don't act like a normal robot, either."

"Ahh! I knew there was somethin' I liked about ye!" Cait bounced back onto the bed, almost triggering Cloud's motion sickness. "Goes to show, just 'cause someone's quiet don't mean he's hasn't got anythin' goin' on upstairs." He leaned forward conspiratorially, motioning for Cloud to do the same. "I'll let ye in on a little secret. I _am_ alive."

Nothing coherent came to mind, so it took a moment for Cloud's brain to come up with the next best thing. "But that's..."

"Impossible? So's ye bein' alive from what I hear. Not quite the same thing, o' course. No, my creator has a special talent. Not sure that 'alive' is really the best word. 'Autonomous' might be better, though I can be directly controlled." Cait chuckled at this. "One o' my predecessors had a rather interesting time with that. Keeping such a thing secret isn't easy when dealin' with Turks."

And Cloud could easily imagine why someone would want to keep an ability like that secret. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Ye were close enough to figurin' it out on yer own. 'Sides, it might help in the long run. Well! Best be movin' along! Told everyone I'd let them know when you woke up!" Cait hopped back onto his moogle and all but danced toward the door.

Leaving Cloud with some very strange things to think about.

*7*7*

"What if the outer wall is damaged during a fight? The entire complex could be flooded!"

"Saves us the trouble o' blowin' it up!"

"You do realize you'd _be inside_ when it floods!?"

"Fighting inside a reactor is always dangerous."

"I think his point is that we may not reach the reactor."

"What's the big deal? It's not like they're going to have a bunch of monsters running loose in their own reactor, right?"

"Actually, they might."

"No way! They're bigger idiots than I thought!"

"We could always grab some scuba gear along the way."

"There's too much risk. It makes a lot more sense to wait for them to bring both remaining huge materia to Rocket Town."

"And what if they get the rocket workin' 'fore we get there?"

"We could always blow it up."

"YOU ARE NOT BLOWIN' UP MY ROCKET!"

"We're talking about saving the _planet_ here! Am I the only one thinking strategically? Vincent? What do you have to say?"

"... I refuse to take part in this argument."

Cloud very nearly didn't open the door. He certainly wasn't going to open it all the way. Someone would have to drag him inside.

Zack noticed the small movement and grinned. "Cloud!" Before anyone could react, Zack had the door wide open and a bright yellow head (that was quickly developing a red tinge) under one arm. "We're trying to figure out what to do next. Which would be easy except someone keeps insisting it's too risky."

Kunsel folded his arms. The argument almost started up again when one of the crew poked his head through the doorway.

"Uh, Captain? We've been picking up some chatter on the radio. It sounds like something big took down the Gelnika."

Cid leaned over the table so he could get a better look at airman. "Did it say if the huge materia was onboard?"

"No, sir. There was a reference to some powerful weapons, though. Ah. They did say that some submarines from the reactor were lost. They were still trying to establish radio contact when I left."

"The huge materia is most likely on one of those subs." Kunsel headed for the door. "How long ago was this?"

"A minute, maybe two, sir. Radio op is still tracking the chatter."

By that time, Zack had let go of Cloud's head. "Even if something did sink the huge materia, ShinRa's going to send out a salvage team."

Kunsel nodded. "Same for the Gelnika, and we can't be sure that they'll take everything to Rocket Town."

Most of the group headed for the helm. When they entered, the radio op looked over his shoulder.

"Captain! We're being hailed by someone using the call-sign Black Suit."

"'Black Suit?'" Zack leaned over the radio station, eliciting a yelp from the radio op. "Hey, Black Suit, like sunflowers?"

A noise that was probably laughter crackled over the radio. "As a matter of fact, I do. Is your chocobo feeling any better?"

"Lots better. So how did you know how to find me?"

"A mutual acquaintance indicated that you'd gotten back into the hero business. Think you could use a hand?"

Zack grinned back at his friends. "Do you have a sub?"

* * *

_Guess who's back! Well, maybe not 'back' since this character hasn't featured in this fic yet, but someone from Crisis Core is making a reappearance! (And the fandom rejoices?)_


	99. Under the Sea

_kristmaskiller: Wow! Such enthusiasm! Can't say here if you're right, but there's a big plate of cookies right over there. ^_^_

_Zack Fair: Thanks and welcome! Hope you get your account soon!_

* * *

**Chapter Ninety-Eight - Under the Sea**

They landed near a small military base south of Costa del Sol. Normally it wasn't used much and as things stood the few who had been there were transferred either to Junon or Midgar. So they didn't meet much resistance on the way to the docks. Only a few small monsters.

None of this sat well with Barret. "Gotta be a trap. Ya can't trust Turks."

"Former Turks." Kunsel glanced back. "Though I admit it's kinda weird to find so many alive."

Tifa looked confused. "How is two many?"

"Turks usually only retire in a body-bag. Two is two more than I've ever heard of."

"Then you're going to be in for a shock!" Zack grinned after looking around the next corner.

Not one, but two Turks stood at the gate to the dockyard. One was a dark-haired man with a scar running down his left cheek. The other was a somewhat shorter woman with wavy reddish-brown hair and a petite figure.

Kunsel glanced at Zack. "Cissnei?"

Zack was already waving the Turks over. "Great to see you again! Who's your friend?"

"Don't you think you should introduce your friends first?" Though the way Cissnei smiled she didn't seem to mind.

"Oh, right. Cissnei, this is Kunsel, Cloud, Tifa, Aerith you already know, Barret, Cid, Nanaki, Vincent (I'm guessing you already know him), Cait Sith, and Yuffie."

"Hey! Why's my name last?!"

Cissnei giggled. "Hello. I'm Cissnei and this is Gidon. The sub you asked for is right over here, though I doubt everyone will fit."

Barret looked grumpier than usual, though he seemed to be the only one who had a problem with that. Zack, for his part, seemed more interested in Gidon.

"I know you from somewhere."

"I've been with the Turks for quite a while. You might have seen me on one of your missions."

"Don't think so." Zack stepped closer, completely ignoring Gidon's obvious discomfort. A couple more seconds and suddenly Zack clapped Gidon on the shoulder hard enough to send the Turk stumbling. "You're from Gongaga! How'd you end up with the Turks?"

Gidon grimaced. "Long story. Isn't there a wreck you want to search?"

"Right!" Zack dropped his fist into his left palm. "How many can you fit?"

Cissnei decided to respond. "Five. But there are only three scuba suits. If you want anyone to come with us into the Gelnika you'll have to keep that in mind."

"One of those 'one size fits most' deals, right?" Zack glanced back. "Cid's about average size, I guess."

Cloud stepped forward. "I'll come, too."

"Are you sure?" Tifa slid up next to him. "You just woke up."

"I'll be fine."

Zack wasn't too sure, he was a bit more familiar with Cloud's motion sickness than the others, but if Cloud wanted to prove himself he wasn't going to stand in the way.

"Okay. So Cid, Cloud, and I'll go with Cissnei and Gidon. Everyone else should stay here and make sure we don't get any surprise visitors."

Barret humphed. "Jes' make sure to keep an eye or two on them Turks!"

"Not very trusting, is he?" Cissnei lead them down toward the docks.

"Wait 'til you get to know him."

Cloud nodded. "It gets worse."

*7*7*

The ride down wasn't so bad. Cloud looked like he was about to have a panic attack right after they dove, but after several deep breaths and a threat from Cid he got over it. At least on the surface.

Zack found the whole thing fascinating, especially the view out the main porthole. "Wow! Look at all the fish!"

"We're underwater. There are going to be fish." Cissnei frowned at something on the sonar screen. "Gidon, turn us 15 degrees starboard."

"That'll take us out of alignment with the Gelnika."

"I know. There's something out there and I want to make sure it isn't a threat."

Gidon nodded and turned the rudder. Even before reaching 15 degrees they could all see something huge and green floating in the distance.

"That looks... pretty threatening."

"At least it isn't heading toward us."

"Yet. Let's suit up so we can get the %$&% out o' here."

Everyone nodded agreement with Cid. Gidon steered them back toward the Gelnika while Cissnei unpacked their gear. She explained how to put each piece on and how to breath until the sub slowed to a relative stop.

"This is as close as I can take us without risking hull damage."

"Good. We'll radio back once we're inside."

Cloud quickly decided that he did not like scuba diving. And that he liked scuba diving inside a wreck even less. It didn't help that he was the only one not armed. Cissnei had a gun inside a waterproof hoster ("in case part of the wreck is still pressurized") and Cid had a short spear with an oddly hooked tip ("it's called a harpoon, idjit"). At least he had some materia, so he wasn't completely useless.

The forward portion of the airship was almost unrecognizable. Which may have been a good thing, at least the crew probably died quickly. But it did mean they couldn't get into the main cargo hold that way. So they swam around to the aft where thankfully one of the emergency hatches was intact.

Not so thankfully, it had already been used.

Cissnei touched the side of her head. "Gidon, Zack, someone's been here already. Might still be inside. How do you want us to proceed?"

A moment of silence, then Zack's voice came over the shared frequency. "Better check it out since we're here. But be careful."

"Of course." Cissnei motioned for Cloud to handle the hatch.

It opened easily enough. For him, anyway. He wasn't sure how Cissnei knew it had been opened between the crash and now, but he didn't doubt her, either. Not even when air bubbles and rushing sea water nearly pulled them into the now exposed interior. They managed to control their entrance and Cloud pulled the door closed after them.

A bare two yards ahead lay another hatch. This one Cid handled as the pressure difference wasn't nearly as great. Most of the water flowed through the opening into the engine room.

They waited. Water dripped. Metal groaned in protest against pressures it wasn't meant to handle. Something made a disturbingly organic sucking sound much further in, but none of them could see what.

Cissnei removed her mask.

"Is that a good idea?" Not that Cloud didn't want the cursed thing off his face, too.

"There's probably more breathable air out here than in our tanks. And I want to be able to see properly."

Cloud didn't need any further arguments. He all but tore his mask off, the only thing keeping him from ditching it entirely being that he knew he'd need it for the trip back. Cid hesitated for a moment before removing his.

Cissnei glanced around the corner of the hatch opening then signaled all clear. They stepped into the empty engine room.

Seemingly empty. Cloud felt certain he could hear something moving under their feet. Maybe it was the sea currents outside, or his own anxiety.

Unfortunately, it was neither.

* * *

_Okay, not the best place to end the chapter, but I kinda ran out of time. I also have to catch up to this part in the game. Since I skipped Junon and all. ^^; And was there any indication that they had to go to Junon before Cid mentions it to Cloud? I haven't seen it if it was there. (Aside from Cid making some comment about there being somewhere else they're supposed to go besides Fort Condor after getting the huge materia from Corel, but why would he think that?) Oh well. Here's hoping I get Cissnei right!_


	100. Persuasion

**Chapter Ninety-Nine - Persuasion**

Cissnei didn't like it at all. Yes, she was wounded, but at least she had a weapon. Cloud only had materia, including a summon that had apparently never been used before. He also had lightning linked to all, which they quickly discovered only made the thing move around more.

So when Cloud ordered her to grab Cid and run she wanted to disobey. All she managed was firing a couple more rounds before doing exactly as she'd been told.

Her justification, to herself at least, was that Cid had been knocked out and poisoned. He needed medical attention two minutes ago.

Cid coughed as the phoenix down absorbed into his body. "What. The hell. Was that?"

"Unknown. I think the science department may have raided the cafeteria's trash cans for this one." Cissnei pulled a small potion out of one of her pouches. "I'm going back for Cloud."

Too late. Something screamed in the first chamber, accompanied by what sounded like hooves. Cloud burst through the door a moment later. He looked paler than usual. Cissnei offered him an antidote but he shook his head.

"What happened?"

Cloud's eyes glazed over. "It... I think it tried to rape me."

Cid laughed, or tried to, it came out more like a hacking cough until Cissnei gave him another potion.

That was when they realized they had company.

"Cissnei! How ya doin'?!"

She looked up, noting the two Turks walking toward them. "Reno, Rude. I've been fine."

"Yeah? So when did you get mixed up with this lot?" Reno gestured with his mag-rod, setting both Cloud and Cid on edge.

Cissnei remained seemingly unaffected. "Just now. I don't see how that should be a problem, though."

"Really? 'Cause from where I'm standing it looks like a huge problem. Or did you forget that AVALANCHE is against ShinRa?"

"I haven't. I also haven't forgotten that we were considered against ShinRa once, too."

Reno sighed, shaking his head. "The boss ain't gonna be happy if we come back empty handed."

"It won't be the first time." Cissnei smiled. "I don't suppose you have an inventory."

*7*7*

Zack was bored. Very bored. He'd tried doing squats earlier, but found out that there really wasn't enough space. At least not if he wanted to avoid bumping into any strange buttons that might or might not flood the cockpit or something else equally catastrophic.

So he fidgeted. And tried to make small talk.

"When did you leave Gongaga?"

"A long time ago."

"Even been back?"

"No."

"... Even after you left the Turks?"

"No."

"Okay... Ah... What made you decide to leave the Turks, anyway?"

"I died."

Zack blinked. "Wait. What?"

"We were considered enemies of ShinRa for doing our job. So after completing the mission we decided it would be best if it looked like we died."

"Wow. Though I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"Not really." Gidon looked at Zack for the first time since they boarded. "There's a bit more room in the corridor, if you want to move around."

"You sure?"

"Very sure."

So Zack left, and wished Cissnei had stayed behind instead.

Gidon nearly went boneless in the pilot's seat after the door closed. Finally, some quiet.

_"Cissnei to Gidon. Cissnei to Gidon."_

He hated irony. "Gidon here."

_"We ran into a couple old friends. They're willing to help, for now."_

"Are they there with you?"

_"Yes."_

"Remind Reno that he still owes me fifty thousand gil."

Silence for several seconds before a different voice came through the speaker. _"Hey! Dead guys can't claim debts!"_

"They can if the claim is passed to another party in their will."

_"You're trying to blackmail me."_

"Just assuring your cooperation. I'll forget half the debt if you allow Cissnei full discretion over the distribution of any items recovered."

Even more silence. Reno sounded even less happy when he finally spoke again. _"Fine. But only if we get to bring something back. The boss's gonna have my hide."_

"Deal. Now hand the set over to Cissnei."

_"Cissnei here."_

"I got you control over the cargo. Is there anything else?"

_"Just that we might need medical attention once we get topside. Hojo left some presents for us in here."_

"Don't die."

_"Not planning to. Where's Zack?"_

"Letting off some steam. You can talk to him once the mission is over."

_"Of course. Cissnei out."_

Gidon leaned back in his seat. After this mission he was going to find some nice, quiet corner of the planet. Preferably one with no cellphone reception.

*7*7*

The space around the dock entrance was too narrow and the surrounding area too bare for all of them standing guard to make sense. While probably motivated by laziness, Yuffie had a point when she said that Vincent could probably handle the job by himself.

Just as well that she said that after he left to find a high spot to watch from.

Barret tried to stand guard for a while. It didn't take long for boredom and the warm sun to lull him into a deep, noisy sleep. He would have to thank Cait and Nanaki later for pulling Yuffie away. She had found a brush pen somewhere and seemed momentarily determined to draw on his face.

Yuffie eventually settled for talking at Aerith, with Tifa as another member of the audience. Nanaki found a shaded spot exposed to the sea breeze to rest as well as he could with all the squealing.

Kunsel leaned against one of the posts in the perimeter fence. He could, if he looked up from his notebook, see everyone except Vincent as well as most of road leading in toward the docks. At the moment he was content to try to make sense out of what he had in his hands.

For a little while, anyway. He finally had to admit that he couldn't get any further on his own. So he got up and extracted Tifa.

"Kunsel? What is it?"

"Can you distract Yuffie for a while? I have to talk to Aerith."

'That shouldn't be too hard. How long do you need?"

"I'm not sure."

Tifa smiled. "How about we look for materia? That should give you all the time you need."

Kunsel chuckled. "As long as she doesn't completely demolish the base."

Not surprisingly, Yuffie leaped at the chance to look for materia, as well as tackling Tifa and screaming about how brilliant they both were.

Aerith watched in amusement as those two left. She kept the same expression even when she turned to Kunsel. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were hitting on me."

"Huh?" Kunsel rolled his eyes. "Oh, right. No, I'm just having a hard time with this." He handed his notebook over, opened to a particularly messy page. "It's supposed to be a list of Cetra abilities, based on legend and Gast's tapes."

"And how is that a problem?" Aerith squinted at the letters, tilting the notebook in an effort to determine if they _were_ letters.

Kunsel sat on a crate. "Everything seems to boil down to 'use magic without materia,' except maybe this one bit about drawing strength from the planet. I think that might be where the science department got the idea to shoot people full of mako, but the actual wording is pretty vague. Is it physical strength? Did the Cetra tap into the Lifestream to renew their magical energy? Or was it more like meditating before battle?" He threw his hands up. "And this all assumes it had something to do with fighting! For all I know it could be some sort of ritual for strengthening community relationships."

"You're right." Aerith set the notebook down in her lap. "There's a lot we still don't know. We might never know. There's a lot my mother was never able to tell me. My own abilities might be limited since I'm only half Cetra."

"Hey, I don't want you to feel like you aren't good enough. It's just frustrating because your idea about Cloud being part Cetra sounded good but it's looking less likely now."

"It is?"

Kunsel sighed. "Yeah. I really thought it was possible, especially after Cid mentioned berserkers, but I can't tie that in with anything that's known or even assumed about the Cetra."

"Hmm. You've been working so hard on this, maybe you should take a break."

"Maybe. But if we can find out for sure what Cloud is then he'll have something to use if Sephiroth tries to break him again." Kunsel huffed. "Besides, I hate leaving puzzles unsolved. If I don't work on this I won't be able to sleep."

"And we can't have that, can we?" Aerith smiled sideways. "All right. When Zack gets back I'll see if I can ask the planet about it. The collective memories there might hold the answer."

* * *

_No cliffhanger this time. Not an obvious one, anyway. I'm still having problems with the Gelnika fights. Mostly because those... things... are so hard to describe. The really creepy one that __**won't leave me alone**__ is especially hard. The closest I can come up with is 'a cloaker on acid,' which makes a lot more sense if you've played AD&D._

_Next is chapter 100! Well, this is the hundredth chapter on FFNet, but next is the actual storyline hundredth chapter._


	101. Gathering Clouds of Heaven

_One hundred chapters! Whoo-hoo! Magic cookies for everyone!_

**Chapter One-Hundred - Gathering Clouds of Heaven**

Zack helped pull the crates inside and get them stowed away. Though there was one box that he didn't want to go anywhere near. Despite its intended purpose as a waterproof, fireproof, probably SOLDIER-proof travel safe, it reeked like an open sewer.

"Do I want to know what's in there?" Zack's voice came out somewhat nasally as he pinched his nose.

Reno wrinkled his nose in shared disgust. "Monster *&^%. It's the only bio material that didn't go poof."

"Yuck."

"No kidding. I can't wait to leave that on Heidegger's desk."

Zack grinned. "With or without the box?"

Reno didn't answer directly, though his almost evil smirk spoke volumes as he made way for everyone else.

Cloud shed his diving suit like it burned. "I never want to do that again."

"It wasn't that bad." Cissnei handed him his armor. "At least we found a sword for you, right?"

"Really? Can I see?" Zack picked up the sword Cloud handed him. It was a little larger than a standard SOLDIER blade and had a couple links of chain at the ends of the hilt. "Balance is good. Wonder what it's doing with a bunch of anti-Sephiroth weapons, though."

Cissnei shrugged. "I don't know. To me, it looks more like a ceremonial sword than one intended for use. But Cloud took down a serpent with it so it's fairly durable."

They finished putting everything away and let Gidon know he could start the ascent.

*7*7*

"What the hell're _they_ doin' here?!" Barret waved his gun-arm at the extra Turks coming out of the sub. "Them I _know_ work fer ShinRa! An' that one dropped the plate on Sector Seven!"

Zack and Kunsel held Barret back from pummeling Reno with anything more than words. Reno didn't make their job any easier by leaning against a fence post watching the whole thing like it didn't involve him.

"Hey! Easy! We just gave them a lift."

"Ya shoulda let 'em drown!"

"Can you get your head out of your ass long enough to _listen_ to him?"

"I ain't lis'nin' ta any of ya!"

"Like that ain't obvious." Cid took a long-awaited drag on a cigarette. He spared a brief glance at Cissnei. "Y'all better high-tail it outta here 'fore things get any more ugly."

Even though she nodded quickly enough, Cissnei hesitated when she glanced at Zack. If they left now she wouldn't get a chance to talk to him.

Perhaps it was for the best. She helped Gidon and Rude slide the salvaged cases next to Cid then collected Reno. They were almost back in the sub when she heard a voice.

"Hey!" Zack trotted up. "You aren't trying to sneak off without a good-bye, are you?"

Cissnei allowed one corner of her mouth to twitch upward. "It looked like you had your hands full."

Zack shrugged. "Yeah, well, I wanted to say thanks before you left. So, thanks."

Cissnei looked at the hand he offered her for a moment before turning away. "There's no need. I'm just... repaying a debt." And she walked away.

"It was nice seeing you, too!"

She waved without turning back.

*7*7*

Yuffie and Tifa reunited with the rest of the group just before boarding the Highwind. The moment Yuffie saw Cloud she shrieked.

"Ama-no-Murakumo!"

Kunsel's face twisted in an all too obvious attempt to keep from laughing. "What did you say?"

"Ama-no-Murakumo!" Somehow, Yuffie managed to glare at Kunsel while trying to wrestle her way toward Cloud. "And it's _mine_! ShinRa stole it from my family during the war!"

Zack tried to tuck her under his arm, only to drop her when she bit his elbow. "Ow! Watch it!"

Cloud managed to hold her off long enough for Tifa to pull her away again.

Aerith frowned at Kunsel. "What's so funny?"

"The name. It's Wutanese for 'Heaven's Cloud.'"

"Seriously?" Zack rubbed his elbow.

Yuffie scowled at them. "It's full name is Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi. It was a gift from Leviathan to my ancestor, the first emperor of Wutai, after he defeated the god in combat and is one of the three great royal treasures. And I want it back!"

Silently, Cloud removed the sword from his back and held it out to Yuffie, the blade resting on the back of his left forearm. "It's yours. But... I would be honored if you'd let me use it for the time being."

For a moment, Yuffie seemed at a loss for words. Then she waved dismissively. "Yeah, well, just so long as you kick some serious ShinRa ass with it. I still want it back, but I can wait until we defeat Sephiroth. Then it goes straight back to Wutai."

Cloud almost smiled as he reattached the sword.

*7*7*

_Cursed. Purpose. Tainted._

"What?"

_Chosen. Tainted._

"I don't understand. Can you show me?"

A man with shaggy blond hair sitting on a mountainside.

A giant wolf with its jaws clamped over the throat of a king, his spear running through the wolf's heart.

People sitting in the shadow of a huge machine half burried in sand.

Children running from a thin, snarling wolf. A man stepped forward and the wolf stopped. It whimpered and licked the man's hand.

The shaggy-haired man again, now with a group of people wearing thick, baggy clothes and goggles.

Tents in the middle of a wide prairie under a red sky.

Mountains. Wolves. A strange glow in the forest.

Another man with similar hair crouching near a pool of Lifestream. He reached toward the misty tendrils rising from the pool and for a moment his eyes seemed to glow.

*7*7*

Aerith told Zack and Kunsel what she saw while they were flying to Rocket Town.

Kunsel folded his arms across his chest and leaned back in his chair. "_That's_ helpful. Is the planet always this vague when you talk to it?"

"Actually, it told me a lot more this time than it usually does."

Zack jumped to Aerith's defense. "Hey, at least we know what one of the images means." At Kunsel and Aerith's combined look he continued. "The second one, with the king and wolf. The wolf is Fenrir and the king is Odin. It's a really old story from Nibelheim."

Kunsel leaned forward. "And how do you know it?"

"Uh." Zack scratched the back of his head. "I think Cloud must've told it to me."

"Right. Well, that's something, at least. But aside from wolves featuring in a couple of the other images I don't see how it connects."

Aerith tilted her head in thought. "The people with the machine felt like they had come from somewhere very far away. Even though I didn't see any people, when I saw the tents I felt like the people who lived there were like me."

Kunsel nodded. "Makes sense. Most of the records we have indicate that the Cetra were mostly nomadic. The people with the machine, though... I don't know. Maybe I should go back to the berserker idea. At least that almost connects to the wolf images."

Zack stretched and stood up. "You do that. I'm going up front before Cid yells at us to get moving."

"Yeah." Kunsel rubbed his head. "Hopefully we won't have to blow up the rocket. I do not want to be anywhere near Cid if that happens."

* * *

_Ah. Short chapter. But at least I got to the stuff I wanted to get written. Now if I can just stay awake for a few days maybe I can get started on the next exciting episode._

_Wonder how many people are going to get the reference with the sword._


	102. Flight Prep

_Ellen: Wow. You're excited._

_SapphyreMyst: Yep! Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi is the old name for the Kusanagi. Playing with mythology is so much fun!_

**Chapter One-Hundred-One**

Kunsel managed to corner Cloud a few minutes before they arrived in Rocket Town.

"Hey. So, how are you feeling?"

Cloud blinked a few times before answering. "Fine."

"That's good. Look, I... I wanted to apologize for what happened up north. I was trying to help and just ended up making things worse."

"You shouldn't." Cloud looked away. "It's my own fault for believing him."

"As if you didn't have every reason to. Sephiroth was right about one thing, normal people shouldn't be able to do what you did. But just being 'not normal' isn't necessarily a bad thing."

"Really."

"If you don't believe me, just look at Aerith. She's definitely not normal."

Cloud tilted his head as if considering that for a while. Just as Kunsel turned to leave, Cloud spoke again.

"Hey, Kunsel? Zack said you were trying to find out what I am."

"Uh, yeah?"

"You'll tell me what you find, right? No matter what it is?"

Kunsel relaxed a little. "Of course."

*7*7*

No one seemed to bother noticing them land an airship almost in Cid's backyard. Apparently whatever was happening with the rocket was far more interesting. Which worried more than one of them.

Cid grumbled about how they were all idiots as he stormed past the few houses between them and the rocket. Everyone else followed with various levels of worry and amusement.

Everyone except Aerith. She had wanted to come, but Zack insisted she still wasn't well enough. Stella agreed and Aerith even made their point for them when she tried to walk to the operations room door. Rolling chairs did not make good crutches.

"Do they really expect that thing to take off when it's tilted like that?" Kunsel looked between the damaged support struts and the village. "I hope those people at least have enough sense to get out of the way if this thing does start."

"If they don't it's their own $%^# fault. Hey! You! I'm the Captain an' that's my rocket! Lemme through!"

The two guards at the base of the launch pad almost snapped to attention before realizing who was marching toward them. "AVALANCHE!" They cocked their rifles. "You won't get past us!"

"Oh well. Worth a shot." Kunsel slotted a green materia into his bracer. It glowed slightly as he waved at the guards.

They didn't move.

Zack picked up one guard while Kunsel moved the other. They had barely gotten the path cleared before Cid rushed up the stairs.

Kunsel shielded his eyes as he looked up near the entrance to the rocket. "He does know there are more guards, right?"

Zack pinched the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache coming on fast. "Kunsel, Tifa, and Yuffie, you're with me. Everyone else watch our six."

*7*7*

Getting assigned to guard duty with a Turk around seemed a little excessive to the two troopers lounging near the entrance to the rocket. At least until a crazed pilot barreled up the ladder. They barely had time to lift their rifles before Cid swung his spear through their chests.

Rude barely flinched when Cid pointed that same spear at his nose.

"You are way too attached to this rocket." Kunsel glanced at the two downed by not yet dead troopers before casting stop on them.

Zack reached the top of the ladder about a second later. He looked at Rude then the rest of the platform. "Where's Reno?"

"Not here." Rude stepped back and coughed as Tifa appeared.

Yuffie was the last to pop up. "Hey, why isn't the Turk down with the other guys?"

Cid inched the tip of his spear closer to Rude's face. "How about it, Turk, ya gonna fight us?"

"My mission is to see that this rocket is launched."

"Is that so?" Cid backed up a pace, letting the butt of his spear rest on the metal grating.

"Hey!"

"Shut up!" Cid glared at Yuffie then anyone else who might speak. "I'm thinkin'." He turned back to Rude. "Is she fit for departure?"

"You'll have to ask the crew."

Cid grinned. "Always dreamed of goin' inta space. May not be under the best circumstances, but I'll take it. Y'all can head on down if ya like."

"Now wait a minute." Zack stepped forward. "You aren't going to fly yourself into Meteor, are you? That's suicide!"

"Not to mention we still have to get the huge materia." Kunsel cocked his head at Rude. "Are you okay with us taking it?"

"My mission doesn't specify anything to do with them past their safe delivery here."

"Convenient. Heidegger really needs to learn to give more detailed orders."

Rude just grunted and stepped aside so they could walk past. They all did, though Tifa only took a couple steps before turning around.

"Look, this may not be the best time but I have to ask. Why are you willing to defy ShinRa now? Why not back at Sector Seven?"

Rude shifted slightly and ducked his head. For such a big man he did an incredibly good impression of a scolded child. "I can't say."

Tifa crossed her arms. "Can't or won't?"

He shifted again and adjusted his glasses. "It wasn't my mission."

"I see. Then I suppose I'll just have to ask Reno if I see him again."

Rude didn't say anything else. Perhaps he had used up his allotted words for the day. Tifa had just turned to enter the rocket when an unconscious guard nearly flattened her.

"Whoops! Sorry about that." Zack poked his head out the hatch. "Hey, Tifa, if you aren't coming maybe you could escort Rude down? Kinda doubt he wants to be standing there when this starts."

"No way!" Yuffie shoved past Zack. "If anyone's getting out of here it's me! I'm not riding this death trap into space!"

"Wasn't gonna start the countdown with ya on-board, anyway!" Cid's voice echoed from somewhere inside.

Zack pinched his nose again.

*7*7*

"Normally, I'd encourage this, but my limited understanding is that this could turn into a war zone soon."

"I'm going outside. I need to be closer to the ground." Aerith crossed her arms and glared up at her nurse.

Stella stared back for all of thirty seconds before relenting with a shrug. "Fine. I'll see if I can talk some of the airmen into keeping watch."

Aerith smiled. "I could help."

"I'm sure you could, but there's a very strong, protective boyfriend who most likely wouldn't appreciate my letting you. Bad enough I'm taking you outside the safety of the airship."

The airmen were more than happy to provide a couple guards for the two women. Soon all four stood on the side of the airship away from the rocket. Aerith knelt in the tall grass with her hands folded over her breast. Eyes closed, she reached out, feeling the flow of the Lifestream and checking up on her friends.

_Tainted. Enemy. Searching._

"Searching? For Sephiroth? Don't you know where he is?"

_Calamity. Find. Search. Tainted. Tainted. Tainted._

Aerith gasped. Understanding hitting her along with a barrage of frustration and hatred. "No. You can't! There has to be another way!"

_Tainted. Cleanse. Search. Destroy._

*7*7*

Zack looked from the keypad on the lock to Cid. "Don't you have any idea what the combination is?"

"None at all. Y'all'll have ta guess."

"Seriously?" Zack's arms and shoulders dropped. "That'll take forever! Why don't we just break it open?"

Kunsel shook his head. "And risk damaging the materia? No way. I've heard enough horror stories about fusion experiments gone wrong to know that I don't want to be anywhere near unstable materia."

Tifa didn't look too sure about either plan. "What if the lock only allows so many attempts before setting off the security?"

"Good point. It'd help if we knew who set up the passcode. Usually people pick numbers that are easy to remember, like birthdays or anniversaries."

"Still not gonna be much help. Chances are Palmer set it, and all I know is the $%^# useless bloatfloat puts lard in his tea!"

"Uh huh." Kunsel studied the keypad, sometimes getting close enough so his nose almost touched it. Then he pressed four keys in rapid succession.

_"Passcode confirmed. Identified as an authorized user. Unlocked."_

"Awesome!" Zack punched Kunsel in the shoulder while grabbing the huge materia with his other hand. "How'd you figure it out?"

"Wear patterns on the keys. Figured Palmer might be the sort of person who practices a passcode so he can remember it. Didn't guarrantee the order, though, so I guess we got lucky."

They reached the bottom of the ladder into the control room when their luck ran out.

* * *

_It's over 9,000! No, not really. Just over a hundred. Still kind of a big deal._

_Could've gotten a little more written, but this was a good cliffhanger and I doubted I could get to a more satisfactory ending point. Maybe if there wasn't mucus where my brains should be. Stupid allergies._


	103. Suffocating

**Chapter One-Hundred-Two - Suffocating  
**

The floor jumped and shuddered. The unmistakable sound of an engine starting up filled the space inside the rocket.

Even so, the obvious question had to be asked. "What the hell... What the hell happened?!"

Before Kunsel could say something sarcastic, an excessively high voice squealed over the comm speakers. "Hey-hey!"

Cid glared at the ceiling. "Palmer! What the hell'd you do?"

"They said they finished repairing the Auto-Pilot. So, I laun~ched it!"

Zack cocked his head. "Wasn't Shera working on that?"

Cid swore. "Of all the times for that woman to get fast!" He ignored Tifa's glare as he grabbed the throttle and tried to pull it down. "Damn! Won't even budge! It's completely locked up!"

"Hey-hey-hey! Almost lift off!"

"What the!? No countdown? It just don't seem the same without it!"

Kunsel turned toward the hatch. "I'm pretty sure that's the last of our worries!"

"Hey! Hey-hey-hey! Blast... OFF!"

*7*7*

Cloud had been given the task of keeping an eye on their 'prisoner.' Rude stayed still for the most part, only shuffling when Cloud's glare got particularly intense.

Then the ground shook. Bolts and loose dirt fell from the support structures around the rocket.

"Tifa! Zack!" His other duties forgotten, Cloud jumped up toward the hatch.

Barret stumbled as he tried to watch Cloud. "Where the hell ya think ye're goin'?!"

Yuffie screamed.

Vincent whipped his cloak around to shield the others from the first blast of super heated air. "We should leave."

That same blast caught Cloud in mid-air. No matter how much he wished otherwise, he couldn't stay on course. Below him the village flashed past, then the plains beyond. The ground rose to meet him and he plowed right in.

"Cloud!"

Voices. And running feet.

Cloud pushed himself out of the trench he'd dug for himself. The others were still halfway down.

When it became apparent that Cloud was in one piece, Barret stopped to appreciate the local destruction. "Damn, Spiky, ya sure know how ta leave an impression."

Cloud ignored the bad pun. "What about Tifa? And Zack?" And Cid, and Kunsel, but he'd already made his point.

Nanaki pointed his nose up to the trail of white smoke bisecting the sky. "We have been unable to reach them by phone. We can only trust in Cid's piloting skills now."

*7*7*

"I finally made it... outer space..." Cid slumped back in his seat for a moment before getting back to business. "Let's see, how's the course set? Yup, it's headed for a collision with Meteor."

Tifa shook of her shock. "You make that sound like a good thing! How are we supposed to get back?"

Cid waved her off. "Gimme a sec here." He checked some controls off to one side. "Escape pod's all ready to go. We just gotta get down there. Follow me."

The first ladder down from the command level took them through the life support levels. They got off at the oxygen tanks and followed Cid past tanks one through seven.

Zack stopped when he noticed sparks to his right. "Hey, did you-"

Bang! Bits of metal and rubber pelted everyone not in the direct line of the blast.

Unfortunately, one person wasn't so lucky.

"Cid!" Tifa and Zack tried right away to lift the twisted shell of the oxygen tank off their pilot only for him to yell in pain.

"Don't worry 'bout me! Hurry up and go! If you don't, the rocket'll hit crash into Meteor!"

Zack glared at him. "I'm not leaving you behind!"

"The debris is caught on part of the grating." Kunsel bent part of the walkway back. "There's a tangle of wires and shrapnel in here, too. I think I can reach it, though."

"#$^&$! Quite worryin' 'bout me, already!" Cid flinched when Tifa tried to wipe some blood from his forehead. "Stupid #$$#&^! Tank number eight blew... So it was... it really was faulty. Shera... you were right. But... this is the end for me..."

"Don't say that, Cid."

Everyone looked up at the new voice. Shera climbed out of a hatch on the far side of the compartment.

Cid glared at her. "What the hell are you doin' here!? I mean... #$*^#!" He closed his eyes and beat his already injured head against one of the still intact tanks."

"Never mind him." Zack waved her over. "Can you help us get this off him?"

"Of course." She went straight to work untangling the wires pinning one corner of the tank's shell.

Though the space was too constricted to allow for actual privacy, Cid still whispered when Shera leaned close to him. "Sorry."

*7*7*

The sky used to terrify her. Growing up she could only remember seeing the sky once, so deep and vast it threatened to swallow her whole. Looking into Zack's eyes, she thought maybe the sky didn't have to be so scary. Sky blue and glowing, the trademark of ShinRa's most elite military branch. Yet in his face they looked like home to her.

She could almost forget her fear while traveling with him. There were so many other things to worry about. And he was there to keep her safe.

Until the ground roared and she saw the rocket swallowed up by the endless blue of the sky.

"ZACK!" She could feel him there, speeding further and further away.

She hadn't really looked at the sky much except with Zack beside her. Now she stared at the point where he disappeared.

Blue. Nothing but blue. Like his eyes. Blue like the ocean. Deep, pulling her. Falling up, faster and faster and...

"Aerith!"

Bue eyes. Smooth, familiar features.

"Zack?" Then she saw the blond hair.

"Sorry."

"Don't be." She leaned against him, only then realizing she had practically fallen into his arms already. "Can you help me walk?"

*7*7*

The escape pod didn't leave much room for comfort, or anything else. A situation made all the more awkward when Kunsel and Zack tried to squeeze past Tifa. Then Cid backed in with his spear. Even with the tip wrapped in an old rag, everyone ended up trying to duck at least once.

"Do you have to bring that?" Kunsel ended up with a choice between letting the blunt end of the spear dig into his back or lean forward into Tifa's assets.

Cid ignored him, focusing instead on the few controls inside the pod. "Hey, Shera! Does this pod really fly?"

"Yes." Shera looked only slightly more comfortable than the boys from her spot against the far wall. "I've been checking it up until now."

"Then I'm relieved." Cid closed the hatched and hit the release.

Shera's answer was almost lost in the shuddering and banging of the pod's separation from the rocket. "Thanks."

Once the pod stopped spinning, Cid stooped transfixed at the porthole. "So this is it... outer space. Man, it's the real thing. So long, ShinRa 26..."

"Hey, do you think the rest of us could get a look?" Zack tried to scoot closer to the porthole.

Kunsel braced himself as Zack's movement partially dislodged him from the wall. "I'm not moving until we land."

To Tifa's credit, she did try sucking in her chest. "How long until then?"

"A few hours, assumin' we don't burn up in the atmosphere or break open like an egg on impact."

What a wonderful thought.

*7*7*

"RAAAAAAAH!"

Yuffie and Nanaki ran up just as the last bits of dragon pattered to the ground. "Wow. Overkill much?"

Cloud glared back at her. "It was in my way."

"So you 'blade beamed' it to smithereens? Come on, you could at least leave a few small ones for the rest of us."

This time Cloud didn't even respond before disappearing up the side of a cliff.

"Hey!" A clawed hand stopped her from trying to follow him. "Wha-? Vincent?"

"You should leave him alone."

Nanaki nodded. "If this allows him to work out his frustrations, then it is not our place to stop him."

"How's blowing stuff up supposed to help?"

Neither Vincent nor Nanaki seemed in a hurry to answer her. If anything, they seemed determined to ignore her as they walked down the mountain path, though perhaps for different reasons. Nanaki had to suppress a chuckle listening to her yell after them to 'wait up.'

*7*7*

He hated it. The situation, himself, everything. Tifa was gone, Zack was gone, Aerith was scared and trying to act like she wasn't, and he couldn't do anything about any of it.

So he fought and killed monsters. Because even though it didn't help and he didn't feel any better it was at least something to do.

Even a gray bomb blowing up in his face didn't knock him out of that mood. It just made him hit the next one harder.

He didn't pay any attention to how many injuries he collected or how many monsters he fought. He barely noticed his body slowing down as he tried to dodge yet another dragon's whip-like tail. That is, until that tail hit him. He realized then that he couldn't take another hit like that. Or any kind of hit.

He refused to back down. Spinning his sword over his head, he prepared for one last strike.

Whether his attack hit or not he couldn't say. He passed out mid-swing.

* * *

_This section of the game poses a bit of a problem for me in that Nomura and crew obviously uphold the 'Writers Have No Sense Of Scale' trope. Supposedly they have a week until Meteor hits. Thing is, the average meteorite on a collision course with Earth travels at about 10-70 km/s. Let's assume that Meteor is at the low end of this range. 10 km/s translates to 36,000 km/h. There are 168 hours in a week (assuming that Gaia uses the same time measurements that we do, which seems to be the case given the clocks we've seen in the Compilation), so Meteor would have to be 6,048,000 km away from the surface of Gaia. Put in perspective, the Moon is 384,400 km from the surface of Earth. That means Meteor would have to be almost 16 times that distance from Gaia and still appearing like a large moon from Midgar. There's also no way that the rocket could reach Meteor in the sort period of time implied. The Apollo missions all took a little over four days to reach the Moon's surface. And the cutscenes seem to indicate that Meteor is inside the orbit of Gaia's moon._

_So either Meteor is traveling __**much**__ slower than the average bit of space rock, or the 'one week' bit is actually how long they have until all life is wiped out by the impact's side effects. Or maybe the writers messed up. Whatever the case, I'm having a really hard time figuring out what to do with this part._


	104. Amok Crash

**Chapter One-Hundred-Three - Amok Crash**

Kunsel kept his eyes closed as they spun through the upper atmosphere. "So while you were making sure this thing would fly, did you make sure there was a distress beacon on here?"

"Of course I did." Shera reached across Tifa to a smaller console near Kunsel's right knee. "Though I didn't have the equipment to run a complete diagnostic, we should be able to send a standard distress signal with our location. The problem is that ShinRa will be able to find us, too."

Zack tried to nod without bumping into either Cid or Shera. "At least Cloud's going to be looking for us anyway, maybe he'll find us first."

The pod shuddered, causing everyone to slide even closer together. Kunsel braced himself tighter. "I want to apologize in advance if we end up landing in any awkward positions."

*7*7*

It didn't take long for Yuffie to realize that Vincent and Nanaki weren't about to do anything interesting. So she turned around and followed the trail of destruction Cloud left. Sure, there weren't any monsters for her to fight, but there were plenty of bodies to loot. She just had to not think about how armor ended up inside a dragon's stomach.

Despite how rediculously fast Cloud moved, Yuffie caught up with him fairly quickly. Looting didn't take nearly as much time as fighting.

She heard him first, or rather the thing he was fighting. Sounded like another dragon. By the time she could see the fight Cloud had shot what looked like a small tornado. The dragon went flying and Cloud did an impressive faceplant into the ground.

"Cloud!" She ran down. The closer she got the more wounds she could see. "Hey! Wake up!"

With a lot of pulling and pushing she managed to roll him over onto his back. At least the ground seemed to have taken more damage from the fall than Cloud did. He still wasn't waking up, though, and most of his wounds were still bleeding.

"Come on! Don't you have a restore materia on you or anything?" Yuffie rummaged through his pockets after finishing with his armor and sword. Her haste made her clumsy and the few items he had tumbled out over the mountain side. She grabbed what looked like a roll of bandages that was already half soaked in blood.

It would have to do. Though stripping him of his shirt proved more difficult than she thought it would. His suspenders kept getting in the way.

And even through all the jostling, he didn't wake up.

"You stupid jerk!" She sniffled and shook him by the collar. "Don't you _dare_ die, you hear me! If you do I'll... I'll send Tifa into the Lifestream to drag you back! And then I'm going to use every single one of my limit breaks on you! So live, you idiot! You gotta beat up way more ShinRa goons with my sword!"

About halfway through her rant her phone started ringing. She only noticed with a couple rings to spare before it would've gone to voicemail. "WHAT!?"

_"Ow. Yuffie, what's wrong?"_

"Aerith? Thank the gods! Aerith! You gotta get over here! Cloud's bleeding and he won't wake up and I can't find the phoenix down and he doesn't have any materia except for some really lame ones that wouldn't be so lame if he'd level them up a bit though I'm not really sure if this one really does anything at all and I think he might be dying and..."

_"...ffie. Yuffie! Calm down! Where are you?"_

"I don't know! Maybe... a mile or two east of the valley where we all split up? Everything looks the same around here! It's all rocks, rocks, and more rocks!"

_"All right. The others are going now to look for you and Cloud. Just stay there and do what you can. It's going to be all right."_

Yuffie sniffed. "Yeah. You're right. No way Cloud's going to die like this. No way..."

_"Do you want me to stay on the phone until they get there?"_

"Uh-huh."

*7*7*

"Damn spiky-assed little punk. Just had to go 'n' get himself jes' 'bout killed in a place like this. We even goin' the right way?"

Nanaki glanced back, trying to see if Barret had been serious. A few feet away, Vincent examined a shattered boulder. His cloak whipped around him as he continued on past cracks and gouges in the cliff face.

Barret stared back at Nanaki. "What? Ya gonna answer or not?"

"Yes. We should be there soon."

'Soon' being a relative term. The instant Yuffie caught sight of them she starts screaming about how they had taken forever and what if Cloud had died while they took the scenic route.

Vincent picked up one of the bloody bundles scattered at Cloud's feet. "You didn't use a phoenix down?"

"Wha-?" Yuffie's jaw moved noiselessly for several blessed seconds. "Where _was_ that!? Don't just stand there! Give it to him! Did you bring materia? Potions? Hey!"

"Git off me, ya crazy brat!" Barret tried to shove her away from his pockets, but she wriggled around too much for him to maintain any sort of grip.

_"Hello? Yuffie? Hello?"_

Nanaki sniffed the abandoned cell phone before responding. "Yuffie seems to be doing well. Vincent is tending to Cloud."

_"Oh good. Did you have any trouble with monsters on the way? The pilot says it could be another couple of hours before we can get back."_

"It seems Cloud either killed or scared off everything in the immediate area."

_"Well, be careful. I wish we could bring him back right away."_

"It's far more important to pick up the others before ShinRa responds to the distress signal. Judging by the smell, I don't think Cloud should be moved at this time."

_"All right. Though I think Zack and Tifa may disagree with what's more important."_

Nanaki didn't doubt that one bit. They exchanged a few more words before cutting the connection. By then Vincent had Cloud semi-conscious and sitting against a large rock.

"There aren't monsters here now, but the smell of blood will start drawing them in."

Yuffie frowned at Vincent. "But Red just got done saying that he shouldn't be moved!"

Vincent looked at the sky, then the surrounding mountains. "The map showed a lake not far from here. It will be easier for the Highwind to pick us up there, as well." He scooped Cloud up and lead the way further east while Yuffie continued to rant and complain.

*7*7*

Awareness came slowly, moreso than usual even with his usual sorting of what was dream and what was memory. Perhaps his surroundings had something to do with his slow waking. The walls and floor hummed.

Something else contributed to the ringing in his head, too.

"He's awake! I think. Hey! You awake? Hellooooooo!"

"I don't think that's helping."

"Oh come on! People usually wake up right after getting a phoenix down, right? Maybe he needs another one."

"If he's waking up then you'll only be wasting it."

He could finally identify the voices as Yuffie and Nanaki. Groaning, he tried to look around, quickly coming to the conclusion that he had to be hallucinating. Not even Mount Nibel had caves completely lined with crystalized mako. It reminded him a bit of that chamber under the northern crater, but that had been destroyed.

"Where..."

Yuffie's face popped into his field of view. "Welcome back! You owe me big time for saving your sorry hide back there and worrying everyone. But don't worry, I've already thought of a few ways you can start paying me back. Can you walk? I want to go looking for materia but Barret won't let me go by myself and Vincents busy talking to a statue."

Cloud blinked a few times trying to process all of that. "What about Nanaki?"

"And leave you alone? Not that anything would happen to you here, but Red was worried."

"I didn't fuss over every rock on the path. Ow!"

Cloud sat up in time to see Nanaki pull his nose away from Yuffie's hand. "Where are we?"

Yuffie spun around on her heels. "A materia cave near where you tried to take on every monster on the planet. Isn't it awesome!? There's got to be some great materia here." She ran off without even checking to see if Cloud followed her.

Of course, he did. Somewhat reluctantly, perhaps, but he did. Nanaki padded along beside him.

Cloud kept his voice low, even though he was sure Yuffie wasn't paying enough attention to notice anything he said. "Did I hurt anyone?"

"No." Nanaki cocked his head. "Are you referring to before or after you passed out?"

"Both. It's... been a while since I lost control like this."

"I don't understand. You did not act as you did at either the temple or the crater."

Cloud shook his head. "Not that. I'm not sure how to explain. It's something I've had to deal with most of my life."

"May I ask when the last time was?"

Cloud thought for a moment. "Nibelheim. When Sephiroth destroyed it. That time was different, though, I had a target, something I knew I wanted dead."

"I'm afraid I still do not understand. What you have described sounds like the natural result of anger and grief."

Cloud's eyes drifted away. "Maybe."

_I've been busy. For one thing, I think I may finally have a solution to the Meteor travel-time problem. (Thanks in part to KievaLynn. Yay!) And then I got sidetracked trying to figure out exact angle of approach, effects of gravity, mass of the various objects involved... _

_As you may have noticed, I'm a tad obsessive compulsive. I also have access to AD&D world/campaign building materials thanks to Dad. So on top of everything else I've been trying to make some sense out of the FFVII world map. No easy task, let me tell you. Now, even assuming that Gaia is only about 800 miles in diameter (roughly a tenth the size of Earth and about two and a half times smaller than the moon, far too small to hold a significant atmosphere in the real world, but this is fantasy) the map we're given in the game only covers a quarter of that surface. Again, making a few assumptions about travel time and walking speed. Which leaves 3/4 of a planet uncharted. Facinating._


	105. In Transit

_Guest: Thanks! I'm pretty sure there are psychiatrists out there who would agree that my mind is a very interesting place. ;P Can you imagine being paid to test video games? Epic dream job._

_Rumah: Thanks! I don't plan for Luxiere making an appearance. He said he's behind Zack all the way, but he also suggested turning Zack in to get a promotion. As for Aerith's death making Holy work, no, that's not how it went. If anything, if Sephiroth had shown up a little sooner Holy might not have been summoned at all. We'll both have to see how Sephiroth's defeat turns out._

**Chapter One-Hundred-Four - In Transit**

"Excuse me. Sorry. Oh, that's not the right button, is it?"

"That's my nose, woman!"

"At least your nose isn't shoved up someone's butt!"

"Zack, I think you might be closer to the control panel, can you...?"

"I am not moving my hands."

"Ugh. _I'll_ do it."

"NO! I mean... uh..." Kunsel squeezed his eyes shut. "Zack, if you move your left hand about three inches up and to the right you should be able to reach it without too much awkwardness."

"Okay. Got it. I think. If the door suddenly pops open it's Kunsel's fault, not mine."

Tifa frowned down at Kunsel. "I'm not the sort of woman who would hold this situation against someone."

"I'm a lot more worried about what you _would_ hold against me."

"I..." Tifa flushed and reared back as far as she could. "We're all in an awkward position. I'm not going to do nothing just because... because you..."

"Hey!" Cid's voice came from somewhere near where the floor was supposed to be. "I'm not sharing air space with a horny SOLDIER's ass, so sit still!"

Zack rolled his eyes. "So, any idea when we're going to get picked up?"

"It's hard to say without knowing where exactly the Highwind is." Shera tried to look at the coordinate display. "We should probably count on an hour or two at the least."

Everyone in the tiny escape pod groaned.

*7*7*

"Lucrecia."

"Stay back!" Only she was the one backing away, curling in on herself as she neared a huge mako crystal. "I wanted to disappear... I couldn't be with anyone... I wanted to die... But the Jenova cells inside me wouldn't let me die... Lately, I dream a lot about Sephiroth... My dear, dear child. I never got to hold him, even once... Not even once. You can't call me his mother... That... is my sin... Back! Stay back! Vincent... Won't you please tell me?"

He stared at her for a moment before answering. "What?"

"Is Sephiroth still alive?" She reached back and touched the crystal. Even though it appeared solid, ripples formed around her finger tips. "I heard he died five years ago. But I see him so often in my dreams... And I know that physically, like myself, he can't die so easily. Please, Vincent, tell me..."

She looked at him then. Exactly as he remembered her so many years ago. Her brown hair loosely tied down her back. Her eyes full of tears, pleading with him.

He couldn't look anymore. "Sephiroth... is dead."

"I see." She took another step back. More ripples formed as her body started to merge with the crystal.

"Lucrecia!"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." The crystal swallowed her whole, freezing her in a pose of sorrowful prayer.

Vincent didn't know what to do. They still had a lot of time before they'd be picked up and he didn't particularly want to go back to Yuffie's chatter.

So he just stood there for several minutes until he found himseld talking. In short sentences with long pauses between he told Lucrecia about how he had met Zack and his friends and what they had done. He skipped over anything directly involving Sephiroth, though he couldn't completely leave out Meteor or their current quest to stop it. Closing his eyes, he could almost imagine Lucrecia's fascination at the parts involving Aerith and the questions she might want to ask about the last real Ancient.

He didn't know if she could hear him, or if his words brought any comfort, but he felt he owed her at least the knowledge that something was being done.

*7*7*

The sky exploded. Even those indoors could tell the moment the rocket hit Meteor. The light blotted out everything else.

Yet, when it faded, Meteor still hung in the sky. Those with the tools to look could tell that less than a quarter of its surface had been broken off. Not that it made much difference, the pieces were held close by what seemed like ropes made of electricity.

What seemed like humanity's last hope failed.

*7*7*

Once everyone got back on-board the Highwind, they gathered in the operations room to figure out what to do next.

"First off, we should find somewhere to store the huge materia. Preferably someplace that doesn't move."

Cid nodded at Kunsel. "I don't want my baby blowin' up, but where we gonna find a place where ShinRa won't look?"

"We could bring them to Grandfather. He can keep them safe."

"An' then what?" Barret slammed his fist into the table as he stood. "How're we gonna save the planet?"

"Holy." Aerith sent a silent prayer of thanks that Zack had her hand in his at that moment. "It's there, trying to come out, but Sephiroth has it blocked somehow. And..." Zack squeezed her hand gently when she hesitated. "There's the problem of the Weapons, too."

Everyone stared, uncertain how to approach that. Yuffie broke the silence first.

"They're the big things that're supposed to fight Jenova, right? So if we break the barrier they'll go after Sephiroth. What's the problem?"

Kunsel groaned and slapped his forehead. "Because they're targeting Jenova, not Sephiroth."

Yuffie cocked her head. "Aren't they the same thing?"

Both Cloud and Zack paled.

"SOLDIER." Zack looked from Cloud to Kunsel. "That's why one of them attacked Mideel. They're going after us."

Aerith leaned against Zack's arm. "The planet doesn't care about individuals so long as life continues. If it has to cut out some of the good flesh to remove the disease then it will."

"Then why ain't it doin' that?" Cid tapped the ash off his cigarette. "So far as I've heard the Weapons haven't moved since this morning."

Everyone turned to Aerith, who suddenly found the seams of Zack's glove extremely interesting. "They're waiting. There are so many pieces in such small quantities that it's hard to track them all down. When the pieces start coming together, then they'll move."

"That means either attackin' Sephiroth or ShinRa, right? So far I dun' see a problem."

Kunsel glared up at Barret. "Idiot. Where do you think ShinRa is? All of Midgar would be wiped out."

Tifa cut in before Barret could start form a retort. "But can we really destroy the Weapons? They're meant to protect the planet."

"If that means letting a lot of innocent people die, then we have to stop them." Zack glanced at Aerith before turning to the others, his face serious. "But we've only got so much time before Meteor hits, so that has to come first."

"Grandfather can tell us how much time. Perhaps it would be best to form more definite plans then."

The others agreed, some looking forward to a bed that didn't move more than anything else.

* * *

_I could have written more, but I've been neglecting my other (self-imposed) duties too much lately. Besides, I have a feeling there are going to be some long scenes after this one and I want to do them properly._

_As for what was revealed here about Weapon, that idea came from one of my readers. Thanks, Zeobide274! It seems so obvious when I think about it yet it hadn't even occurred to me. Maybe that's what makes the idea so brilliant._


	106. Insomnia

_My deepest apologies, dear readers. Due to several unforeseen circumstances the past week (starting with my car breaking down and kinda going down hill from there) the chapter this week is only one scene. I thought about skipping this week entirely and just posting an apology, but that would mess up the chapter numbering system even more than it already is. Or prevent people from posting reviews if they respond to the apology if I were to replace the apology with an actual chapter later. Either way, I thought I might as well post what I have and hope for the best._

**Chapter One-Hundred-Five - Insomnia**

The sun had already set by the time they entered Cosmo Canyon. Nanaki went straight to his grandfather's but everyone else agreed it would be best to see Bugenhagen in the morning. They got three rooms at the inn and crashed almost instantly.

Except Cloud didn't stay asleep. It had nothing to do with sleeping on the couch, either. Well, very little. The lump under his left shoulder blade didn't help, certainly.

But somehow despite being exhausted when he fell into the thin cushions, he just couldn't sit still when he found himself awake at 0200.

After a few minutes spent trying to fall back asleep, and ignore the lump, he finally decided to get up and take a walk.

Turned out he wasn't the only one.

"Hey!" Zack nodded but otherwise didn't alter his squatting rhythm. He did lower his voice as he continued, though. "Couldn't sleep?"

Cloud hummed in assent. "You?"

"Barret snores like a chainsaw. This is the last time we pick rooms through rock, paper, scissors." Zack grinned when he heard Cloud's amused snort. "I heard you took out a whole mountain full of monsters single-handed. Wish I could've seen that."

Somehow, that was the wrong thing to say. Cloud's expression darkened before he could hide his face. "It... wasn't that great."

Zack stood up straight. "Okay, what gives? I know you got beat up at the end but that's no reason to ignore everything else."

"That's not it. I... I shouldn't have been out there alone in the first place."

"Probably. Not that it's anywhere near as dumb as some of the stuff I've pulled." Zack pulled Cloud into a one-armed hug. "The trick is not doing the same thing twice."

Cloud still didn't look up. "Yeah."

"If there's anything else bothering you, let me know, okay?"

"There's always something bothering me." Cloud managed to slip loose. "Right now, I just need some sleep."


	107. Direction

**Chapter One-Hundred-Six - Direction**

For someone well over a hundred years old, Bugenhagen seemed awfully chipper for so early in the morning. Early by some people's estimation, at least. Yuffie still didn't know how anyone could function so close to dawn.

"Ho ho ho! So this is the huge materia? Yes, it will be quite safe here. Now, you were also wondering how to get through Sephiroth's barrier?"

"Yeah." Zack's face brightened. "Do you know how?"

Bugenhagen grinned. "Nope! Not at all!"

Most of them groaned, a few swore. Bugenhagen ignored all of them.

"There isn't enough information to even speculate. Is the barrier only what we see or does it extend below ground? Is its primary function to keep the Weapons out? Has anyone tried walking through it or casting a spell on it?"

Eyes turned to their neighbors and back again. Kunsel muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "I'm an idiot."

Zack rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, I don't think so."

"Does this mean we have to climb that cliff again?"

A collective groan rose in response to Yuffie's question.

Cid leaned back, smoke wafting off the tip of his cigarette. "We've got the Highwind, now. I could fly us there and toss the brat overboard, see if she bounces."

"Hey!"

"Cid!" Aerith started chewing him out for even suggesting that while Tifa held Yuffie down.

As entertaining as the show was, they didn't have time for this kind of argument. Zack raised his voice just enough get everyone's attention. "Cid has a point." He raised his hands before anyone could form a protest. "About the airship! Not chucking anyone overboard. The ship is armed, so we should at least be able to find out if it's weak to physical attacks."

"And I suppose a few of us could lob our highest level spells at it from the weather deck." Kunsel gestured to include himself, Aerith, and Cait. "But assuming neither of those work, do we have time to find out if we can go under it?"

Bugenhagen bobbed up and down on his floating ball. "Ho ho ho! A most astute question. By my calculations we have a week before Meteor falls."

"A week?" Zack and Cloud glanced at each other when they spoke up at the same time. Zack grinned sheepishly for a moment before continuing. "Are you sure you got that right? It looked pretty close when we were up there."

"That is because Meteor is not heading directly toward us but rather toward where we will be. Ho ho ho! Instead of saying that Meteor will run into the planet, it would be more accurate to say that the planet will run into Meteor."

Neither made for a pleasant picture, but at least it gave them some time. For what, they still weren't sure.

"What do we do?" Tifa finally had her arms free as Yuffie had decided to pout rather than attack Cid. "If we can't break the barrier and there's no way under it, how do we get to Sephiroth?"

Bugenhagen leaned forward. "Is defeating Sephiroth the only way to stop Meteor?"

"I..." Tifa looked to her friends for help.

Aerith stepped forward. "I summoned Holy, but it's being held back by something. We think that something is Sephiroth."

"I see! So that's the situation, hm? You are certain Holy was summoned successfully? Do you have the materia with you?"

Aerith reached back and untied her bow. A small materia fell into her hand which she presented for all to see. A pale green light swirled up from the depths.

"Ho ho ho! This is marvelous! Holy has indeed been summoned!"

"But, Grandfather, it can't come out unless we defeat Sephiroth."

Yuffie looked up then. "Don't we have some materia that could help? What about that destruct materia?"

"You mean the unleveled, unused destruct?" Kunsel paused to think. "It's worth a try, but we should probably level it up first."

"We have barrier, we can do that on the way there." Zack stood and extended a hand to Bugenhagen. "Thanks for letting us keep the huge materia here."

"Ho ho ho! You're welcome! If you ever need assistance don't hesitate to ask."

Nanaki stayed behind for a little while to talk with his grandfather. On the way down from the observatory Kunsel broke off from the group saying that he wanted to ask a favor of the elders. He and Nanaki caught up just outside the town gate. Soon, they were on their way north.

* * *

_Sorry for another short chapter. Life continues to be interesting, but it is (finally!) starting to calm down. Now if it can stay calm maybe I can write a longer chapter next week._


	108. Exercise in Futility

_kristmaskiller: A lot of people are still angry with her about that. Players, that is, the actual team tolerates her well enough. Though it probably took a while for them to trust her around materia._

**Chapter One-Hundred-Seven - Exercise in Futility**

Reno collapsed onto the couch next to Rude. They were both waiting to report to Rufus, though Reno only just got there and acted like he'd been waiting for ages.

"Man. I don't know what disturbs me more, Hojo and his experiments or Sephiroth and his whacked out plans for godhood."

Rude just grunted noncommittally.

"I'm serious! Cissnei just gave me a report some of the other Turks helped Tseng put together. He's fine, by the way, considering he almost got sliced in half by Sephiroth. Details were non-existent, but apparently the latest SOLDIER to go off the deep end thinks destroying the planet will make him a god. Something about absorbing the Lifestream or some weird $&*#."

"Aren't you supposed to be watching Hojo?"

Reno waved off Rude's concern. "Professor Psycho has more security around him than the boss did when Old Man Shinra knew he was planning a hostile take over. He isn't going anywhere."

Rude hummed in a way that indicated that he wasn't convinced but wouldn't press the issue. Not that he ever did.

Before Reno could think of anything else to ramble about, the elevator door swooshed open barely fast enough for a very determined looking Reeve Tuesti.

"Is the president in?"

Reno blinked. "Yeah, but he's talking to Scarlet and Heidegger right now. You'll have to get in line."

"I want to talk to them, too." Reeve headed for the stairs, stopped only when Reno and Rude jumped up to pull him back.

"Hey! Easy! What's gotten into you?"

"The well-being of Midgar's citizens. Have you seen that cannon they're building?"

"What, you didn't know about that? It's Scarlet's latest brilliant idea for frying Sephiroth."

Reeve sighed. "I suppose pride won't allow Rufus to leave that to Zack and his friends."

"And let AVALANCHE take credit for saving the planet? Now way." Reno looked askance at Reeve. "You aren't switching sides, are you?"

"If I was, you'd be the last I'd tell."

Reno laughed at this. "Hey, just so long as you don't do anything that'll hurt the company, I don't care."

"Good to know." For a few seconds Reeve seemed to consider making a break for the stairs again. Then something else occurred to him. "I'd like to ask you for a favor. There are underground shelters in the slums, I want as many people moved into them as possible. Especially those who live under the cannon."

Reno and Rude glanced at each other. As usual, Reno spoke for both of them. "Figure the boss won't give you permission to evacuate?"

"You'd probably be able to get it done faster than I could."

"I dunno. We don't usually rescue civilians." Reno grinned. "Might be a good change of pace, huh, Rude?"

The man in question pushed his sunglasses up his nose in what could be interpreted as a nod.

"Great! That means we don't have to report in." Reno shoved a couple of disks into Reeve's hands. Behind him, Rude searched his now empty pockets. "Just hand those over to the boss when you get a chance. See ya!"

*7*7*

Everyone took turns using the barrier and destruct materia on the way north. Even Stella and whichever crew members weren't on duty pitched in to level up the materia as much as possible. Though to no one's surprise, except perhaps their own, Zack and Cloud were the most effective.

As it turned out, Kunsel and Cloud were teamed up about fifteen minutes before reaching the crater. For a while they didn't talk except to announce that they were about to cast.

So Cloud's question came as a surprise.

"Is it normal to lose control when you're angry?"

The air in front of Kunsel sparked as he failed to cast barrier. "I, uh... I guess that depends on what you mean by 'lose control.'"

Cloud looked away. "You heard about what happened after the rocket launched, right? I kept fighting for no reason other than I was angry and frustrated. When I was a kid, it used to happen a lot. Sometimes it feels like... there's another me that comes out at those times."

"Another you? Can you talk about it and cast at the same time?"

Cloud nodded.

"Okay. Casting. Have you talked to anyone else about this?"

"I mentioned it to Nanaki. Casting. He said it sounded normal."

"So I'm guessing you wanted a second opinion from a human. Casting."

"Something like that. Casting."

"It does sound kinda odd. Casting."

Cloud visibly deflated. "Casting."

"Hey. Remember, odd isn't necessarily a bad thing. This could be, depending on what that 'other you' is exactly, but, uh... Casting..." Kunsel stared at the underside of the deck above them trying to think of something to dig himself out with. "There is one way you're perfectly normal for a SOLDIER."

Cloud glanced at him and shook his head. "Casting."

"Casting. I mean it. Every SOLDIER I've met prefers women who can kick his ass, myself included. Zack's probably the only exception."

That time Cloud forgot to announce his casting. He looked like he wanted to pull his head down into the collar of his uniform.

Kunsel smiled. "I'd tell you not to worry about it, but you probably will, anyway. Just try to focus on right now. Casting. Oh, and thanks for talking to me about this."

Cloud shrugged. Neither one said much after that until Cid announced that they were hovering over the barrier.

*7*7*

Tifa and Aerith stood together at the edge of the weather deck looking down at the glowing barrier covering the crater.

"He's down there." Though ostensibly Tifa was there to support Aerith, at that moment she felt like the roles were reversed. "After everything he's done to Cloud, he's hiding down there where we can't get him."

"Or waiting." Aerith looked up as Cloud and Kunsel stepped onto the deck. "What took you?"

They both pointed behind them. Zack appeared in the doorway, looking rather sheepish.

"I was cleaning up a mess below deck and... well, it kinda made another mess."

"What kind of a mess?" When everyone looked at him, Cid back-pedaled. "Never mind. That can wait until after we pull down this barrier."

Zack nodded for Cloud to give the destruct materia to Vincent, since he'd had the most time to recover his energy.

As usual for Vincent, he didn't say or do anything while casting. So the only indication that he had cast at all came when he narrowed his eyes at the still present barrier.

"#&^%$ piece of AAAAAAA!" Barret vented his frustrations in the form of a barrage of bullets aimed meaninglessly at the barrier, which either absorbed them or deflected them, they were too high to tell.

Zack glanced at Tifa and Aerith shivering beside him. "We better head inside and get the missles ready."

"They're ready now. Come on, we can watch from the cockpit." Cid lead the way until he remembered his manners and let Tifa and Aerith back into the heated portion of the airship first.

Several explosions later, both outside and inside the ship, and the barrier remained unaffected.

Tifa found herself standing next to Cloud, since the job of keeping Aerith upright had been taken by Zack. "I guess we try climbing again?"

Cloud nodded.

"Hope y'all're up for a long walk," Cid paused to check the instruments over the trainee pilot's shoulder, "'cause there isn't a good place to land down there."

Kunsel turned away from the window. "What about parachutes?"

"Too much wind. Unless ya don't mind ending up smeared across the cliff like a bug on a windshield."

"Ah!" At first, everyone assumed Cait's outburst was from the mental image. He started hopping around on his mount's head while wringing his hands. "We gotta get outta here! Now! Another Weapon appeared an' it's headed straight for Midgar!"

* * *

_A little short, but I like this cliffhanger so I'll leave it as is. Honestly, this part was very hard to write. In the game the next step was fairly obvious and lead straight into Diamond Weapon's attack. With Aerith alive, though, going back to the Forgotten City and getting the music box to work isn't necessary. I've had to find something else to fill the time between the rocket launch and this next part. It's not exactly exciting stuff, either. Hopefully Reno and Rude make up for that._


	109. Trigger Situation

**Chapter One-Hundred-Eight - Trigger Situation**

The ground shook for miles when the creature rose from the ocean near Bone Village. It looked like a strangely formed island consisting almost entirely of grey stone. Then it started moving toward Midgar, its pace slow only in relation to its scale. The wake it left clearly showed that it easily beat even the president's most high-powered yacht.

The Highwind flew circles around the latest Weapon to appear.

"Well #$%. How're we supposed to fight that!?"

Zack leaned as close to the view port as possible without actually leaning on it. "Do you have any more missiles?"

Cid scoffed. "Sure. Nothin' that'd do more than %#& it off, though."

"If it's angry enough to follow us instead of flattening Midgar, then it's worth a try."

"You're the boss, but if that Weapon messes up my baby I'm takin' it out on your hide." Cid then nodded to the airman at the fire-control station.

The Weapon bellowed at the attack but only strayed off course for a few minutes. When it didn't catch the offending machine right away it went back to its original target.

Cid twisted his face up, unsure whether to feel relief or frustration. "Any more bright ideas?"

Kunsel looked at the map displayed at one of the control stations. "We'll have to fight it once it comes ashore. If it keeps going straight, it should be easy enough to predict where it'll land and set up a welcome for it."

"A'right!" Barret pumped his gunarm. "Le's show that Weapon who's boss!"

*7*7*

Three hours later, they were still waiting.

Barret glared at Zack doing squats. "Can't ya hold still? Ye're makin' me all fidgety."

"Go ahead. If you stay still too long you'll be stiff when Weapon gets here."

Nanaki sat near Cid. "Are you certain this is the correct spot?"

Cid tossed his empty cigarette box, earning him a few glares. "Sure I'm sure. Unless Weapon decided to go off somewhere else."

"It's coming." When everyone turned toward him, Cloud shrank a bit. "I don't know how I know, I just do."

If anyone had a comment for that, it was cut off by Zack's cell phone.

"Hey, Aerith."

_"The crew spotted the Weapon a few miles out. You should be able to see it soon."_

Zack grinned at Cloud. "Right on time."

_"I wish I could help you down there."_

"You just did. Besides, Stella would kill me if I let you fight." Zack looked out over the ocean. "And there it is. See you soon."

_"I'm holding you to that."_

Zack put his phone back in his pocket. "Show's about to start!"

*7*7*

Reno swore as he hung up the phone. "Weapon's headed this way so they're going to start powering up the cannon!"

"Hmm." Rude looked down at the old woman whose house they'd stormed into. She folded her arms and stared right back.

"I don't care what you say, I'm not leaving. My husband worked his entire life just so we could live comfortably. I will not set foot in the slums."

"Fine! Have it your way! Come on, Rude, let's find someone who actually _wants_ rescuing." Reno only made it to the sidewalk before he turned around. Rude only watched as his partner threw a small vial at the old woman, who promptly fell over unconscious.

"Oof. Granny's gotta lay off the cookies. Hey, is there any room left in the back?"

Rude nodded. "We should hurry before any of them wake up."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Man. You'd think more people would cooperate when you're trying to help them. No wonder only nut-jobs go into the hero business."

They got the old lady more or less comfortably squeezed into the back of the company van they'd 'requisitioned' before driving back toward Sector 0 and the road leading down to the Sector 3 slums.

*7*7*

The Weapon, once it stood out of the water, seemed somewhat reminiscent of a knight wearing a stiff cloak and shoulder guards three times the size they needed to be. It would have been funny if it weren't also over fifty stories tall.

Nanaki and Cait started out by making sure everyone had wall cast on them. They had barely finished when the Weapon spit a ball of energy at Zack, almost catching Yuffie as well.

Both dodged the blast itself, though everyone got showered in sand and dirt.

Cid ran in close only for his spear to bounce off the Weapon's armor.

"Hit it with magic until we can find a weak spot!" Zack rolled out of the way of another energy blast.

Only to get stepped on.

"Zack!"

Weapon continued to lumber forward, revealing a Zack-sized hole in the beach. "I'm fine! Though I could use another wall spell!"

Nanaki did the honors since Cait was busy with a comet spell.

"This isn't working!" Tifa stood back to back with Cloud. "I think I see an opening, but I'll need a boost.

Cloud only hesitated a moment before nodding. "Climb on."

When she had a firm grip on his shoulders, Cloud jumped. They made it almost a third of the way up before starting to fall. Then Tifa set one foot on his shoulder and jumped a few feet higher. She landed just below its hip.

Cloud dug his sword into the Weapon's knee. For a sword that probably hadn't been used since the founding of Wutai, it was surprisingly sharp. He watched for any sign that Tifa needed a ride back down.

Tifa focused on the narrow line of exposed flesh right above her and cast thundaga.

Weapon lurched against the attack, roaring in pain.

As hard as she tried, Tifa couldn't hold on. She fell a surprisingly short distance into a solid chest and vice-like arms. And they both continued falling until Cloud's back dug a hole into the ground.

"I need to work on my landings."

"Wake up!" Yuffie ran forward while casting freeze on the leg that had almost stepped on them. "Gawds. You two can cuddle later."

Now thoroughly red-faced, Tifa and Cloud retreated to opposite ends of the battlefield.

Kunsel didn't have much in the way of offensive materia on him, so he mostly hung back as support. This also gave him a rare opportunity to study how everyone fought. For the most part there weren't any surprises, except that Nanaki tended to have poor aim with long range attacks. Perhaps that wasn't so surprising considering his lack of depth perception.

What struck Kunsel the most, though, was something that he had noticed but hadn't given much thought to until Cloud's conversation with him earlier. At the start of a fight Cloud would hesitate and otherwise act as one would expect from someone with the kind of self-esteem issues Cloud often presented. That changed the longer the fight lasted. He almost seemed to start enjoying the battle.

Which could be explained away as Cloud loosening up and letting his anxieties take a back seat to survival. It didn't explain everything, though.

Kunsel was so caught up in his analysis, he almost didn't notice the change in air pressure. Looking up, he saw part of the Weapon's chest plate start to glow.

"Oh hell! RUN!"

The warning comes almost too late. Golden light pulses through the air and shatters the ground leaving only a few left standing.

And one... thing... hovering near where Vincent had been.

*7*7*

Insane cackling echoed throughout the labs on the 67th floor. Hojo vibrated in front of the screen playing a security feed zoomed in on the new Weapon. The Weapon didn't interest him. The creature fighting it, however...

The demonic shape and red on black coloring were exactly what Hojo would have expected from the legendary Chaos. Would have, if he had believed that such a being could exist. It seemed the last couple weeks were full of things he thought couldn't exist.

But this came with so many possibilities! If Chaos existed, then Omega had to as well. The planet's last defense. When all things came to an end Omega would appear to draw the Lifestream into the heavens. To witness the end of the world was one thing, to live on afterward with all the knowledge of the planet at his disposal was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.

If such a troublesome experiment as that Turk could merge with Chaos, then certainly an unparalleled genius such as himself could merge with Omega.

He turned away from the screen, a tray of vials and syringes in his hands.

All he had to do was prepare his body for his moment of triumph.

* * *

_Okay, still short, and I actually got this done really quickly, but I knew I wouldn't get another perfect chapter ending like this for a while. So here it is. I'm not really sure what to think of the fight scenes. They seem rather more slap-stick than an epic battle like this should be. Then again, Diamond Weapon's primary attacks are energy ball loogies and stomping on the characters. It's right up there with FF:Tactics and the flaming chocobo poop._


	110. Acquiring Target

_kristmaskiller: You're welcome. You might be surprised how little retconning is necessary._

**Chapter One-Hundred-Nine - Acquiring Target**

The Weapon hadn't let up long enough for anyone to do more than pull the wounded out of harm's way, so it surprised everyone when it suddenly turned and started walking around them. For a while Vincent, or whatever creature had taken his place, tried to follow. Vincent must have decided that was a bad idea, because the winged demon landed, snarling as the black light that accompanied his transformations surrounded it.

Cid sputtered as the mouth of a potion bottle was shoved into his mouth. "What the $&*#? Now it's just goin' to ignore us?"

"That's not it." Cloud stared at the lumbering monster. "It senses something. A killing intent."

Kunsel cocked his head. "There wasn't enough here?"

"I dun' care what its reason is. If it's gonna attack Midgar, we've gotta stop it!"

"Barret's right." Zack stood up, Yuffie slung backwards over one shoulder and Cid grumbling under the other. "Let's get back to the Highwind. We might not be able to stop it, but we can at least try to slow it down."

Cait nearly did a back-flip off his moogle. "Ah! Wow! Oi! Ye might not want to be between the Weapon and Midgar, they're firin' up the cannon!"

"Good to know. Can someone with a free hand call-"

"Already on it." Tifa had her phone dialed up almost before she finished talking.

*7*7*

Rufus had never understood the reasoning behind having so many broad windows in the president's office. Yes, they provided an excellent view in every direction, but they were also vulnerable to attack.

His father probably never considered the possibility that his enemies would have airships, or building-sized monsters. Or perhaps he didn't consider it important. He had some strange notions about what constituted weakness. Notions that lead, ultimately, to his death. Rufus would not make those mistakes.

And yet he could not resist the urge to stand by the window facing out over the mako cannon. Ahem, 'Sister Ray,' as Scarlet insisted on calling it. Her gloating was one of the reasons Rufus had the remaining executives wait in the conference room downstairs.

He didn't particularly want to listen to them bicker over what had already been done, either.

While the cannon powered up, a golden light blinked in the wasteland. Rufus narrowed his eyes. The light was growing brighter.

No. It was speeding _closer_.

Moments after the cannon fired, bolts of golden energy exploded against the upper floors of ShinRa Tower. Rufus's world shrank to nothing but fire and pain.

*7*7*

Everyone aboard the Highwind stared slack-jawed at what had just happened below them.

"No $&^# way!"

Zack couldn't think of a better way to say it, though his mouth sure tried. "It went right through and kept going."

"To destroy Weapon so easily..." Aerith clung to Zack's shirt. "What's going to happen now?"

Either Nanaki recovered from the shock first, or Vincent simply didn't see a need to speak yet. "Didn't Cait say that the cannon was meant to be used against Sephiroth?"

"The barrier!" Cloud looked around for someone who might have an answer. "Could it reach that far and still have enough power?"

"With the way it flew through Weapon like so much air, sure, why not?" Cid rounded on the trembling pilot. "Get us pointed north!"

They only flew for half an hour before Cait started panicking.

*7*7*

Reno nearly tripped into the door frame of the emergency shelter when the ground shook. Again.

"What the hell? Don't tell me they were able to fire the cannon twice!"

"That wasn't the cannon."

Reno looked up at Rude, then the underside of the Sector 8 plate high above them. Without needing a single word, they both ran for the van, Reno dialing his phone on the way.

"Come on, Elena. Pick up. Pick up. Finally! What's going on up there?"

_"I don't know! It sounds like Weapon attacked headquarters. Power's flickering in and out all over the building and I can't get upstairs! The elevators won't work!"_

"Have you tried the stairs?"

A pause. _"I'm headed there now. It looks like... Reeve? Hang on."_

The phone exploded in static and shifting cloth, then Elena's voice drifted through as if from a great distance. _"What are you doing with one of ShinRa's executives?"_

More voices. Reno thought he could make out 'Public Safety' and 'detainment.'

_"They can't give those kind of orders! Where's the president?"_

The other voices spoke again. Reno couldn't make out the words, but from Elena's reaction, it was easy to guess.

_"WHAT! Have you verified this? So you just __**assumed **__he was dead? I don't care what they told you! Until I see evidence to the contrary I will assume that the president is alive. Now get out of here! You will leave Mr. Tuesti here, he's in Turk custody now."_ She continued to verbally assault whatever troopers had been unlucky enough to run into her, not only forgetting about her active phone but preventing the poor slobs from following her orders.

"Uh, Elena. Hello?" Reno rolled his eyes, though he knew no one could see him. The only other one there was Rude, and he was busy driving. "Looks like all hell's broken loose upstairs. HQ's been hit by something and either Heidegger, Scarlet, or both are taking the opportunity to try a hostile takeover. Emphasis on hostile."

Rude grunted. "The president?"

"Presumed dead, apparently. Oh, and Elena just rescued Reeve, though he might prefer whatever cell the troopers were taking him to right now." Reno held out his phone so Rude could hear, but by then the troopers had managed to escape and all that came through was shifting cloth. "Uh..."

*7*7*

Elena crossed her arms and sighed as the troopers made their retreat. "Honestly, I would have expected better even from the infantry."

"You can't blame them too much. They're used to following Heidegger's orders without question."

"Oh!" Elena had almost forgotten that Reeve was there.

Reeve either didn't notice her start or chose to ignore it. "Now that I'm in your custody, what do you plan on doing?"

"I, uh..." She nearly jumped out of her skin, again, when he grabbed her hand.

"If you're open to suggestions, I recommend heading for the mako cannon. There are already people on the way, but they might not get here in time."

"But what about the president?"

"He'll have to wait. If we can't stop Hojo then finding him won't matter."

"Hojo?" She jumped again, though not because of what Reeve said. Her pocket had started shouting at her. "Reno! I forgot."

_"-amn phone, rookie!"_

"I'm back. Reeve was just telling me about something Hojo's doing with the mako cannon. We're headed there now."

_"What about the president?"_

"I already asked that. I... Reeve wants to talk to you."

"Thank you." Reeve took the phone. "Is Rude with you? Can you put me on speaker? Good. I don't know what Hojo is trying to do, but it involves overloading the reactors. All of them. He's bypassed the mainframe so we have to deal with him directly at the Sister Ray."

_"That's a really stupid name, ya know? So how long before all of Midgar gets shot straight to hell?"_

"Best case scenario? We have a little over an hour."

*7*7*

Kunsel frowned at the dot on the horizon that was slowly expanding into Midgar. "Why would Hojo try to blow up the city?"

"Guy's #$& nuts!" Barret stopped pacing just long enough to waving his gunarm.

"I know, but nuts and suicidal aren't the same thing."

Zack stood next to Kunsel, staring at that same spot in the distance. "Whatever his reason, he still needs to be stopped. If it's important we can worry about it later."

Barret stopped pacing again. "Hey, how're we supposed to get into Midgar? The place'll be under martial law."

Tifa nodded. "All transportation into the slums will be cut off."

"Ya think that'd stop us?" Cid barked out a laugh. "Where are we now?"

"In the air." For a moment, Cloud almost seemed to smile.

Cid gave him a thumbs up. "Kid got it in one!

Nanaki tilted his head. "Are there enough parachutes for everyone?"

"There's supposed to be enough for the whole crew. No idea if that $&*^% Heidegger bothered with safety protocols."

"He didn't." The pilot flinched even before Cid turned to look at him. "But Giott down in engineering has been making sure everything's in order. You shouldn't have a problem, sir."

Zack grinned. "Jumping out of an airship with a parachute, huh? That's going to be a first for me."

* * *

_So the showdown with Hojo should be next week. Probably. There's a lot of scene changing in this chapter, I hope it isn't too confusing. So many characters to keep track of! So many plot threads on a collision course. And now I'm mixing my metaphores._


	111. Buying Time

**Chapter One-Hundred-Ten - Buying Time  
**

Falling with a parachute felt a lot like flying. It would have been fun if Zack weren't in such a hurry. He considered unbuckling himself, but he'd still have to wait for everyone else.

So he floated gently to the street and still had to wait because he had jumped first.

"Are we all here? Great. Cait, how much time do we have?"

Reeve's voice crackled through the little robot's speakers. "Thirty-two minutes if the levels continue to rise at this rate."

"Reeve?" Zack squatted as if looking for the man inside the toy cat. "You managed to escape?"

"I had help. Elena of the Turks is with me trying to hack into the system remotely. Heidegger has the infantry out looking for all of us so getting to the cannon will be difficult."

"Ya mean he ain't even tryin' to stop Hojo? Don' he care if Midgar blows up?!"

Cid scoffed. "What'd ya expect? Him and that hag think gettin' even's more important than anything else."

"We don't have time for that!" This time Cait did the talking. "I can show ye a way that'll avoid most o' the streets, but it's longer so we have to hurry!"

*7*7*

Reeve slammed his fist onto the desktop. "Damn it! Every command I try gets overridden as soon as I enter it!"

"Is there anyway to lock Hojo out of the system?" Elena didn't take her eyes off the door off the small urban development office.

"Probably, but it would require a terminal with higher security clearance."

Elena glanced at him. "How much higher?"

"Either Heidegger or Scarlet's personal computers would do." Reeve waved his left hand as he continued to look for weak spots in the system. "You can see the problem."

Elena thought for a moment, then drew her pistol. She checked the clip and chamber before cracking open the door. "Hallway's clear. We should move."

"You aren't actually considering..."

"We don't have time. Just follow me."

*7*7*

Several flights up and a hallway or two over, Reeve slowed. "This is the hall leading to the Turk offices."

"You've been here?"

Reeve nodded. "This isn't the first time I helped the Turks."

Elena stared at him while she fumbled with the hidden panel. "But you're head of urban development. Why...?"

"It's something of a hobby of mine." Once the door appeared, he followed Elena inside. "Do you think the computers here have enough clearance?"

"Not on their own, but we can access any computer in the building that's connected to the central server and set up a remote workspace." She pointed to the main terminal at the end of the room. "This will become Heidegger's computer."

"Assuming I can get through the firewall."

"You better. I'm not putting my life in the hands of those terrorists."

Reeve stopped himself from glaring at her, instead focusing his attention on hacking into Heidegger's computer. "Considering what you do for a living, I'm not sure you have the right to label them as terrorists."

"What do you mean?" Her hand on her gun had a much greater effect on Reeve's ability to answer than the thought he had to put into his job.

"You're a Turk. You follow orders like a good dog and hope your master decides to let you live another day. Concepts like right and wrong don't belong in ShinRa. We're all puppets here. I don't know about you, but I'd like to walk without strings."

Elena didn't say anything for a long time after that. She barely even moved. When she did speak, it was in a barely audible whisper.

"I think sis felt the same way."

*7*7*

Zack never wanted to see another manhole-dwelling imp ever again. "How much time do we have?"

Cid shouted before Cait even had a chance to answer. "Five minutes less than the last time ya asked!"

"If we keep havin' ta fight monsters we're all gonna be blown sky high 'afore we git close ta the cannon!"

"Maybe, maybe not." Cait tried his best to glare at Cid and Barret. "Reeve's working on locking Hojo out of the system. Right now he's managed to slow the energy buildup a little."

Cloud looked over his shoulder. "So we have more time?"

"Not much, I'm afraid. Hojo still has access so the flow goes up and down every few seconds."

Zack scowled. "This isn't working." He stopped and spun around so fast the rest of the team nearly ran into him. "Cait, which of these tunnels heads straight to the surface?"

"None o' them. Though that one," he pointed to a grate in the ceiling, "has a branch leading to surface-level power relay. Why?"

"Vincent, you think you can get to the cannon without being spotted?"

"It's possible."

Zack nodded and turned back to Cait. "Can your moogle move without you?"

It really was amazing how aprehensive the little robot could look without facial expressions. "Why?"

"Because it's staying behind otherwise." Zack picked up Cait, who squawked in protest. "Cloud, Kunsel, and I are going on ahead. The rest of you follow as quickly as you can."

Nanaki raised his head. "I wish to face Hojo."

"You aren't the only one. Saving Midgar comes first. Stay alive, everyone!" Zack waved for Cloud and Kunsel to follow him. In moments they disappeared down the tunnel.

Barret fumed. "Who the hell does he think he is, leaving us behind like that?"

"I don't like it either, but they can move faster than us so it makes sense." Tifa had to tell herself that as much as anything.

"So what are we waiting for?" Yuffie twirled her shuriken over her head. "Let's show them that they can't leave us behind!"

*7*7*

Zack's team ended up leaving the maintenance tunnel through an air duct connected to the rail tunnels. From there Cait directed them along the line leading out to the streets of Sector 8 directly under the support struts of the cannon.

"Nice job. Now all we have to do is climb up there." Zack jumped to the railing along the edge of the pedestrian boulevard.

All three SOLDIERs ran only a few yards north before they felt the ground shake. The chunk and hiss of over-sized actuators behind them gave a good indication as to the source of the tremors.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding."

Lumbering down the far-too-narrow street was a huge bipedal tank. It stopped almost as soon as the SOLDIERs turned to face it. A chest panel opened, revealing Scarlet and Heidegger laughing like a pair of demented loons.

Zack groaned. "We don't have time for this."

Kunsel drew his sword. "Then go. I'll keep them occupied."

"I don't like the idea of you facing that thing alone."

"Then leave Cait with me."

"HEY!"

Kunsel glanced back. "We don't have time to argue. I'll be fine."

Zack hesitated less than a second before dragging Cloud after him.

"Will Kunsel really be okay?"

"Oh yeah." Zack didn't sound quite as confident as he wanted. "The biggest threat is probably if that thing malfunctions."

"That's not very comforting."

*7*7*

"Come back here!" Heidegger shook his fist at Zack and Cloud's retreating backs.

Scarlet folded her arms and glared down at Kunsel. "Looks like your friends have abandoned you. Now feel the might of my Proud Clod!"

Kunsel raised an eyebrow. "Your what?"

"Laddie, I wouldn't provoke her like that."

As if to prove Cait's point, Scarlet triggered the arms to slash at Kunsel. An attack Kunsel easily dodged.

"Slow. Cumbersome." Kunsel rolled under a laser beam. "And who attaches a second set of arms at the elbows?"

"Stand _still_!"

Kunsel almost felt sorry for Heidegger being stuck in that thing with Scarlet.

Almost.

"What materia do you have on you?"

"Ice, all, contain, and mp plus."

Kunsel unequipped one of his own materia. "Lighting for your ice."

After nearly falling off his perch, Cait yelped and shoved his megaphone in Kunsel's face. "You do it! An' try not to jump around so much!"

"Who's side are you on?" Kunsel rolled between the tank's legs. He grabbed Cait and stuck the megaphone back in the little robot's paws. "Find a weak spot."

"Wha-AAAAA!"

Cait screamed all the way through his unwilling flight until managing to grab hold of the bottom joint of the gun turret. "Ack. If I had a heart it would've stopped beatin' two stories down. Now le'see... That seems as good a weak spot as any."

With megaphone held up to speaker, Cait leaned back and shouted at the gap between the armor and the gun turret. "Thundaga!"

Kunsel drove his sword into the back of the tank's right knee. The moment he heard Cait yell, he backflipped away.

Cait continued to spam thundaga while Kunsel alternated between ice spells and chopping away at weakened sections of armor. Both jumped clear when the tank collapsed to its knees.

"Hoo! I am not meant for this sorta thin'."

"Then you might want to stand back." Kunsel stood ready while the tank struggled to right itself.

He just needed the right opening.

The gun turret jerked toward them, revealing a jagged hole under it.

Kunsel hadn't expected the opening to be quite so literal. He reattached his sword and ran. The tank had plenty of footholds for a SOLDIER.

Right above the opening, Kunsel dug a grenade out of his pocket. He pulled the pin, dropped it, and jumped.

Fire. Rending metal. Rushing air. Screaming.

For a moment, Kunsel had no idea who was screaming or why. Then he registered the words.

"Get offa me, ye bampot, mako-drunk roaster! Ye tryin' ta get us both killed?!"

"Funny, coming from someone who already died once." Kunsel did sit up, though.

"That was the other Cait. How can someone so smart keep mixing that point up?"

"Maybe because you look and act the same and have the same memories."

"Ah, yes, well, as interestin' as it'd be to discuss this, maybe we should leave before that fire gets any more outta hand."

Kunsel kept an eye on Cait as they dodge around flaming wreckage. If they hurried they might catch up with Zack and Cloud before they reached Hojo.

* * *

_And that's six screens! Wow! It's been a while since I've reached this length. Unfortunately, I got this far without writing the confrontation with Hojo. Next chapter, when I have more than a few hours to figure out what happens next._


	112. Violator

**Chapter One-Hundred-Eleven - Violator**

From the roof of a nearby apartment complex, Vincent watched Kunsel take out Scarlet's oddly named machine. He only left, following Zack and Cloud, after he was certain the former SOLDIER didn't need assistance.

Vincent stayed above the streets, so he soon passed Zack and Cloud. He found Hojo muttering to himself over the controls of the Sister Ray.

One bullet would solve so many problems.

"Heh heh heh. Is that you, Chaos's vessel? Such irony. Now what is it you think you're doing?"

"Putting an end to this."

Hojo threw back his head and cackled. "'An end?' Of course, of course. That is your purpose, after all. Then stand back and watch!"

The next moment Hojo reached for something. Vincent never found out what because he shot Hojo in the back of the head.

Footsteps pounded up the metal steps. "Vincent! Oh, wow. Guess that solves that problem."

Vincent didn't answer Zack. Something about Hojo's body didn't seem right.

It twitched.

"Heh. It is taking effect." Hojo's body jerked upright. "I have absorbed her cells."

Zack shied away. "What the...? Wasn't he dead?"

"Dead? Oh no, I can't die yet. I'm going to witness the end of the world." Hojo's skin took on a sickly green hue and he moved as if pulled by strings. He, or whatever moved him, threw back his head and cackled. "I have injected Jenova's cells into my own body in preparation for this moment! If my son is to become a god, then I as a scientist must bear witness to it! Show me!"

Vincent took a step back. Certain things were beginning to fall into place in his mind. Additionally, he had to find some way of killing Hojo permanently.

"Look out!"

At Zack's warning, Vincent jumped. Hojo's arm had somehow stretched far enough to grab at him.

No. It seemed to be melting, along with the rest of Hojo's body. His clothes burned away. The creature left behind was little more than a puddle of flesh with tentacles joined by a large, orange ball.

Zack covered his mouth even as he held out his sword. "He did that to himself?"

"So it would seem. Now killing him would almost be an act of mercy." Vincent glanced briefly at Cloud. The younger man hadn't said a word this whole time, just stared at the monster.

None of them had time to think after that. The thing that had been Hojo attacked, swiping its pronged tentacles at them.

Zack dodged and severed the right one from the main body. He turned to help Cloud.

And got hit by the tentacle he'd just cut off.

"Zack!" Cloud blocked one attack and jumped over another on the way toward his friend.

"Damn it. They can reattach?"

Vincent shot the monster in what could be called a head. It did little good aside from distracting it from his companions.

Zack and Cloud attacked at the same time. Their swords dug into the gooey flesh of what had once been human.

The monster collapsed around their swords. It slithered between their legs, reforming around the orange ball.

Cloud took another swipe at that ball, only for it to dodge at the last second.

Its new form hid the ball inside a vaguely waspish abdomen topped by a a nondescript humanoid torso with a tentacle growing out of its head.

Zack circled the floating body to the left, keeping his sword pointed at it's center of mass. "Is it going to just going to keep transforming every time we almost kill it?"

Cloud did little more than grunt. At least with Hojo like this Reeve might have a chance at stabilizing the reactors. If that was still possible.

Kunsel hadn't shown up yet.

Vincent fired three shots into the monster's torso. It didn't flinch or scream.

It did, however, turn toward Vincent, exposing it's back to Cloud.

Cloud jumped in and got slapped aside as the monster's tentacle lashed out.

Ducking under the action, Zack swung his sword up into the wasp portion of the body. Green sludge oozed from the wound.

The instant Zack jumped away, Vincent set off a fire spell near the wound. Finally, the monster jerked in pain.

Cloud stood, bruised but otherwise unhurt. Blue flames licked the edge of his sword as he drew it back. He swung down, releasing a crescent of blue energy that shattered the monster's exoskeleton and burned its flesh.

Zack stayed tense even though the smoldering remains didn't move. "Is it dead this time?"

Vincent shot a couple times to make sure. Nothing.

"Phew! So now what?" Zack leaned against the railing of the catwalk, giving every indication that he intended to do not much for a while.

"Trust that Reeve can gain control of the reactors."

"Where's Kunsel?" Cloud looked over the side of the catwalk. He couldn't see any sign of the former SOLDIER or Cait.

Zack fished out his phone. "Looks like he sent me a message during the fight. 'Realized the others don't know the way here so Cait and I are doubling back to get them. If you finish before we arrive just retrace your steps.' That solves that problem."

They left by the stairs, Zack talking and laughing easily with Cloud. Vincent glance behind at the organic wreckage. Something didn't seem quite right. He couldn't place what, though, so he followed his companions.

*7*7*

On reuniting with their friends, the next challenge they faced was getting back to the airship. The city was still in lock-down, meaning no one could enter or leave.

"We'd have to fight our way down to the slums then over to one of the gates." Zack crossed his arms as he shook his head. "At least we don't have as pressing a deadline now."

Kunsel snorted. "Yeah. Just a week give or take a couple days before the world ends. No pressure."

"Quit bein' such a pessimist. Let's just focus on what's in front of us."

Yuffie pointed her thumb at Cid. "I agree with Mr. Cranky-pants. (Hey!) Besides, beating up a bunch of ShinRa goons doesn't sound so hard."

Tifa looked thoughtful for a moment. "Normally, perhaps, but weren't you yawning just a few minutes ago?"

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"She's sayin' we need sleep." Barret glared at the dank walls of the maintenance tunnel. "Not that I much like the idea of sleepin' here."

Zack leaned back against the wall. "If we could at least make it down to the church we could possibly sleep there. It would be more comfortable, at least. Right. Let's aim for that and try to avoid fights when we can."

* * *

_So I got to the boss battle and a little after. This was surprisingly hard to write. I kept stumbling over Hojo's transformations and how everyone reacts. Too much dialog? Not enough? There's a balancing act here since I'm trying to avoid the Talking Is A Free Action trope._


	113. Not Yet

_Kristmaskiller: Thanks. Fight scenes are hard enough without the complication of Final Fantasy's love of bizarre biology. As for pairings, the only ones I guarantee are the canon ones (Cloud/Tifa, Zack/Aerith, Cid/Shera)._

**Chapter One-Hundred-Twelve - Not Yet  
**

Thanks to Cait's knowledge of Midgar's utility systems, they were able to get to the slums without running into the infantry. Lots of monsters and the occasional hyperactive security drone, yes, but no human combatants.

So, a little tired but also more optimistic, they surfaced in the Sector 5 market.

"Zack!" A young woman with short brown hair and a muddy dress ran up to him, pausing only when she spotted the rest of the group. "Who are these people? Where's Aerith?"

"Aerith's fine. And these are my friends." He yanked Cloud into a head lock. "You remember Spiky here, right?"

"Oh yeah. He's the quiet guy who was always helping you with your jobs. Why are you here now if Aerith isn't with you? Is she with her mom? She moved suddenly after you left. Did you know that?"

Zack waved his hands in front of him to ward off the onslaught. "Hey! Slow down. I knew she'd moved, but Aerith isn't with her yet. If we weren't in such a hurry, I'd explain. Really. We're trying to get to Aerith's church. Do you know if there are any patrols between here and there?"

She thought for a moment, tilting her head to one side. "There might be. I'd have to ask Cole to be sure."

"He's still around, huh? How's the little thief doing?"

She set her hands on her hips and straightened to her full height, which still left the top of her head somewhere around Zack's collar bone. "He's not a thief! He got a job in Sector 6. Or, well, he did until the highway collapsed. But he's been looking for work and hasn't stolen anything in years!"

Cid chuckled from near the back of the group. "So the little princess isn't the first, huh? Ya sure do attract weird friends."

"Look who's talking, old man!"

"Watch it, ya little..."

Zack pinched the bridge of his nose while the fight spread. "Maybe I'll just take a look for myself."

The girl nodded. "And they called Cole weird?"

*7*7*

Eventually, everyone got settled down, thanks in part to Tifa's scolding and Vincent's ominous glare. The walk to Aerith's church was relatively uneventful. It seemed ShinRa was more concerned with making sure people didn't travel between the plate and the slums than making sure the people in the slums were safe and not panicking.

Cloud stopped just inside the doors of the church. The place radiated peace and quiet. He hadn't even realized how noisy the outside world had become until all the voices stopped.

"Cloud?" Tifa stood in front of him, trying to make out what he was thinking. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I think I am."

*7*7*

_Tainted._

"What?" He didn't know where he was, or even if he was anywhere in particular. He felt a shadow brush past him but couldn't see.

_Corrupt._

Something snarled and dug long, sharp claws into his chest.

He screamed.

*7*7*

Tifa awoke with a start. She sat up, eyes wide and looking for what had startled her. On the other side of the flower bed Zack leaned over Cloud's sleeping form.

At least, she assumed Cloud was sleeping. When she crawled closer she wasn't so sure. His body was tense, his hands curled into tight fists and his chest heaving. Tears leaked out from between tightly closed eyelids.

"Come on, buddy. Fight it. Wake up."

Tifa barely dared breath, but she had to ask. "What's happening?"

"I don't know. He screamed and then went stiff as a board."

Hesitant, Tifa reached for Cloud's hand. "Cloud, please wake up."

"T-Tifa... AH!" He jack-knifed right into Zack's face.

Both men groaned, holding slightly different parts of their heads.

"Ow. Warn a guy next time you try that, huh?"

"S-sorry." Cloud blinked several times before managing to get his eyes focused. "What happened?"

"Nightmare." They all jumped when Kunsel sat down next to them. He handed Zack some gauze and pointed to his nose. "Want a cure for that?"

Zack held the gauze up to his still dripping nose. "Nah. It'll be fine by morning. How about you, Cloud? You going to be okay?"

Cloud nodded. "It's... just been a long day. That's all."

No one believed that, at least not entirely, but they let it go. It had been a long day and tomorrow would probably be even longer.

*7*7*

As soon as they re-boarded the Highwind the next morning, Aerith tackled Zack with a hug.

"I'm so glad you're all right! I had this horrible feeling."

"Aw. You shouldn't have worried. We did fine."

Once out of the wind, Cid lit up a cigarette. "So where to next? The northern crater?"

Zack started to nod. To his and everyone else's surprise, Cloud spoke up.

"Isn't there something we should do first?"

"The Weapons." Kunsel crossed his arms. "If they're moving toward Sephiroth then we don't want to be caught in the middle."

Cid snorted. "Hell, if that's the case, we might's well stand back and let 'em do the job for us."

"You're okay wi' that? Wha' 'bout savin' the world?"

"It doesn't matter." Cloud shrank a bit when everyone looked at him. After collecting himself, he managed to continue. "As long as the world's safe, it doesn't matter if we're the ones who saved it or not. Even so, I... want to fight Sephiroth for personal reasons."

Barret frowned. "Huh? How's'at?"

"Revenge." Vincent somehow managed to loom at Barret despite being significantly smaller.

Cloud hid his face even as he nodded. "I probably don't deserve to look for it, especially since Nanaki didn't get his chance at revenge with Hojo."

Nanaki shook his head. "You, Zack, and Vincent suffered at his hands far longer than I. It is sufficient to know that he will no longer be able to do the same to others."

"Yeah, yeah, that's great." Cid tapped a bit of ash off the tip of his cigarette. "So are we goin' north or not?"

Zack gripped Cloud's shoulder in an attempt at reassurance. "Let's see what the other Weapons are doing first. Then we'll figure that out."

*7*7*

It didn't take long to find a familiar Weapon. The same one that attacked them in Mideel flew in lazy circles over the crater it or another of its kin had made east of Junon.

Oddly enough, that's all it did.

"What the flying #*&% is it waitin' for, a signed invitation?"

For the most part, everyone ignored Cid's complaint.

Kunsel squinted through the binoculars as if that would change the image significantly. "Maybe it is defective."

"Or confused." Aerith clasped her hands together and bowed her head. "It knows where the enemy is, but also knows that something destroyed its kin. Both are threats to the planet. It doesn't know how to decide which to attack first."

Zack frowned. "So it's just going to sit there until something else takes out Sephiroth and then go after Midgar."

"Probably." Aerith sighed. "I wonder if the planet realizes how much more complicated it's making this."

Tifa turned away from the big view port. "Do you think we'll have to find and defeat all of the Weapons before we can face Sephiroth?"

"I'm afraid so."

They saw it coming, but having it verified brought up a collective groan from everyone except Vincent.

"In that case, we should dispatch them quickly."

Another groan before everyone went about prepping for battle.

* * *

_And... end chapter. Yeah, mostly transition, but there is some plot relevant stuff going on here._

_For one thing, drawing the planet's attention to Cloud probably wasn't the best idea Aerith ever had._


	114. First of the Last

**Chapter One-Hundred-Thirteen - First of the Last**

"Okay, this fight is probably going to be entirely airborn, so don't even bother bringing any materia aligned with earth. Barret and Vincent will also be the only ones able to do much physical damage unless we find a spare firearm for Cloud."

Yuffie jumped up. "Hey! What about me!"

Zack cocked his head. "What about you?"

"Uh, hello, shuriken is a throwing weapon."

"Yeah. It can also get stuck, leaving you without a weapon." Ignoring Yuffie's rising indignation, Zack turned to Kunsel. "How are we doing for materia?"

"Comet, contain, ultima, four usable summons... Some of this is going to depend on whether the Weapon is immune to any elements or status ailments."

"Just keep it away from my airship. Can't believe I let you yahoos talk me into this."

Aerith knelt by the pile of materia, turning some of them over with her fingers tips. "So who's getting what?"

"Well, you're the best at healing, so..." Kunsel took a few green balls out of the pile and handed them to her.

"And this has nothing to do with keeping me out of harm's way, now would it?"

Both Kunsel and Aerith laughed while Zack crossed his arms.

"It doesn't make sense to put our healer in the line of fire. Besides, it's my job to make sure my girlfriend is safe."

"Anyway," Kunsel coughed in an attempt to regain his composure, "since we have a mastered barrier materia now, I thought we might try to cast wall on the airship."

Cid nodded, a grin spreading across his face. "If ya manage that, I know some engineers who'd love to talk with ya."

"I can imagine. Now, the summons should probably be split between Zack, Cloud, and Cait since they're the best spell casters besides Aerith and Vincent." Kunsel tossed a yellow materia to Vincent. "That's deathblow. It messes with aim a bit but should make the shots that hit do more damage."

Tifa leaned forward in an attempt to get a better view of what Kunsel was doing. "So the rest of us split the magic materia, then?"

Kunsel nodded. "I'm just not sure how to work this since we don't know what it might be immune to."

Zack picked up another yellow materia. "We could always do a quick fly-by with sense active. And hope that it doesn't attack us."

There were other suggestions, but Zack's turned out to be the most reasonable sounding. It also gave Kunsel time to figure out how to cast wall on the airship. Aerith had a few suggestions in that regard, mainly involving as many members of the crew as possible trying to cast the spell with them. All at once

No one thought that idea was even possible until Kunsel and Cid managed to jury-rig a multi-person harness to an old bangle with a single materia slot. After a lot of coaching (not to mention trial and error), they somehow cast a wall spell large enough to cover the airship.

Cid puffed out a ring of smoke. "I'll be damned. Now to see if they can do it a second time when we're about to fight."

The crew groaned at the thought.

*7*7*

Soon, the team was dividing up the materia again.

"Figures that it would be immune to gravity." Kunsel put the unused materia away and sighed. "I was hoping we'd be able to ground it."

Zack shrugged. "Oh well. So, everyone ready?"

Everyone nodded, though Tifa took an extra moment to check Cloud's bracer. "Cover? Has anyone else ever used that one?"

"Umm. No?" Cloud shrank under Tifa's glare. "I have health materia equipped, too."

Tifa shook her head. "You don't have to protect everyone all the time."

"I know."

"Okay! Let's go!" Zack lead them out onto the weather deck.

The Weapon roared as the airship flew closer. As soon as they were in range, Zack, Cloud, and Cait started summoning.

For a moment, a swirling mist of red appeared around the Weapon before condensing down to the size of an apple.

Zack cocked his head. "That's got to be either Bahamut or Odin. That'll buy us a minute or two, so get those spells fired up!"

A silver orb shimmered and vanished around each of them. Aerith waved from the doorway. "Just in case the wall spell doesn't hold. Sorry, the materia I have isn't leveled up enough to cast magic barrier yet."

She barely finished talking when the red ball started to crack. Light exploded from it, releasing the now very angry Weapon.

Vincent and Barret opened fire until another summon sucked it into pocket space.

Again the Weapon burst out, but to everyone's surprise, it didn't attack. Instead, it shot straight up before turning west.

"This $%$& again?! That's the same stunt it pulled in Mideel!" Cid shook his spear at the retreating monster. "Come back here and fight, ya coward!"

With the afternoon sun overhead, Zack had to squint to kept track of the Weapon. "It's going to wrong way. We better follow it."

They followed it's zig-zagging path over the ocean and most of the western continent. Near evening it reached Nibelheim and turned to face them.

Cid swore when he saw the glow coming from its mouth. "Get that wall spell up _now_!"

Magic clashed in the air. The magical wall held, but enough of the attack got through to knock those who had already reached the weather deck back.

Vincent recovered first, opening fire even though bullets seemed to cause little damage.

Ice boulders appeared in the air above the Weapon, followed by flaming bits of rock.

Shiva appeared to coat the Weapon in ice.

It roared and released another bolt of energy that rocked the airship. By the everyone got back to their feet, the Weapon had flown away.

Barret roared, unloading almost half a clip at a target that was far out of range. "How we supposed to beat that thin' if it keeps runnin' off like that!?"

"We'll just have to wear it down until it can't." Zack glared at the horizon.

Tracking it this time didn't take as long as before. Not much comfort, considering where it decided to stop.

"Gongaga." Zack's grip on the railing tightened until the metal whined in protest.

A few miles outside of Gongaga, technically, but still far too close for comfort. Instead of attacking them like last time, the Weapon landed in the jungle. With the sun set, most of the people aboard the airship could only make out vague shadows when it moved.

Zack spun around and ran inside. He returned moments later with his sword. "I'm going down. Everyone keep it grounded and away from town.

"What?"

"Zack!"

"Are you #$%$ nuts?!"

The only one not protesting was Vincent. "Does this ship have a spotlight?"

"Landing lights. I see what ye're gettin' at." Cid pulled out a radio. "I want all outboard lights on now! We're gonna make that Weapon think it's noon!"

Within moments the outer hull looked more like the surface of a small sun.

Zack grinned with more teeth than necessary. He set one foot on the railing and launched himself over the edge.

"Ah!" Aerith took half a step forward before a clawed hand stopped her. She looked up at Vincent's partially hidden face.

"He will not be alone."

Cloud set his mouth in a grim line and nodded. "We all have his back."

Both jumped overboard. Kunsel stepped toward the rail as if to follow them but turned around.

"Tifa, you still have comet, right?"

"Oh! Right!"

"So let's show them that we don't have to be on the front line to do serious damage."

*7*7*

Zack landed on the Weapon's back amid a shower of lightning and fire. He stabbed the Buster sword into its back and held on while it writhed in pain.

Something screeched overhead. Chaos swooped in, dark power crackled over the Weapon's head.

Zack felt Cloud land behind him. "Glad you could make it."

"Hn... Whoa!"

A beam of light shot out of the Weapon's mouth, nearly knocking the airship out of the sky. It flapped its wings. Cloud and Zack almost had to hold on with their entire bodies to keep from getting blown off.

"Oh no. You are not getting away this time."

Not that Zack, or anyone else, had much say in the matter. Those still on the Highwind continued to fire off spells, but that only made the Weapon hasten its retreat.

Cloud had to readjust his grip on the Weapon's armored hide. Something wet and sticky oozed over his gloved fingers. He looked down. Whatever it was seemed to come from the wound Zack's sword made. Even for Cloud colors were hard to make out with so little light, but somehow it didn't quite look right for blood.

It didn't matter, so he tried to ignore it. Until his hand slipped, smearing some of the stuff on his arm.

_Taintedchosendestroyprotect._

He bite back a cry. Whatever it was burned like acid.

Or concentrated mako.

_Purposefuturedangerenemy._

"Cloud!"

"W-what?"

Zack sighed. "You zoned out for a minute, there. What happened?"

"I'm not sure."

"Huh. Well, I was going to tell you to get comfortable. We might be here a while before it decides to land again."

* * *

_Quite possibly the most tedious boss fight in the entire game. If only because you not only have to fight it multiple times but __**chase it across the planet**__ after each fight. Guaranteed you'll lose it at least once. By the time it gets to the last location all I want to do is nuke it._


	115. A Gift

_kristmaskiller: Well, they nuked Diamond rather effectively. The problem seems to be that the tech required to get that effect is very large and has a long recharge time._

_Guest: You're welcome. Though I hope your teeth and the table aren't too damaged._

**Chapter One-Hundred-Fourteen - A Gift**

Neither Zack nor Cloud slept that night. They couldn't where they were, though they both tried to get as much rest as they could.

By the time the first few rays of light peeked over the horizon they'd both give their left arms for a bed.

"Cloud, your arm!"

Cloud looked down. His right forearm bore a slowly healing burn.

With the growing light, he could also see the Weapon's now dry blood. If something green and crystalline could be called blood.

Cloud touched a nearby piece. It broke apart like sand and blew away.

Zack watched this, his face going a little pale. "Okay, so acidic mako blood. Good to know."

"Yeah... I think we've stopped."

Not exactly, but the Weapon had settled into a sort of holding pattern over a set of dusty red bluffs topped by a lush forest. Zack squinted at the horizon.

"I think I see the Highwind coming. Do we wait for them or what?"

Cloud hummed deep in his throat while thinking over his answer. "We should probably wait. The most powerful materia we have are Odin and Bahamut, and I don't want to find out if we'd get pulled into pocket space with the Weapon."

Zack winced. "Yeah. That wouldn't be fun."

Silence.

"So... Have any plans for when this is all over?"

"No."

"Uh, okay. I kinda want to move back to Gongaga, but Aerith has her church and the flowers in Midgar. There's also her mom. Should I ask if she wants to move there, too? I'd understand if she doesn't. There's nothing out there, especially now that the reactor's gone. Over half the town is still in ruins. I want to help rebuild, but I don't know if bringing in more people to live there is a good idea just yet."

"That's... a lot to think about."

"Tell me about it." Zack scratched the back of his neck. "But you know, no matter where I end up, I'd like it if you were there, too."

Cloud sank closer to the Weapon's hide. "I'll think about it."

*7*7*

Cait's voice echoed off the cliffs below. "Oi! Ye still among the livin'?"

"Do they really expect us to answer from here?" Still, Zack grinned and stood up. "Come on, let's show them."

Cloud and Zack ran up the back of the Weapon. As they jumped toward the airship, Zack twisted around and cast blizzaga. A huge boulder of ice dropped onto the Weapon's head just as it fired an energy bolt.

The blast of energy missed the airship, but did manage to catch Zack and Cloud enough to make them bounce gracelessly across the weather deck.

"All right!" Cid pumped his fist and spear in the air. "Let's show this #$%%&# what we're made of!"

Spells of various kinds exploded around the Weapon. Barret unloaded at least three clips, most of which actually hit.

Cid twirled his spear, releasing a ghostly image of what looked vaguely like Leviathan that curled around the Weapon before exploding.

The Weapon retaliated with balls of energy from its mouth and chest.

Aerith maintained a set of secondary barriers around the combatants while making sure the injured were healed quickly.

Pieces of armor cracked and fell away from the Weapon. It roared. Clawed hands rose as if to pluck the airship out of the sky.

For a moment nothing happened. Then the world vanished in white and black shadows. Before their vision returned to normal, everyone heard Cloud choke on a scream.

"Cloud!"

Tifa, Zack, and Aerith ran to him while everyone else formed a defensive line.

There was no need. Its energy spent, the Weapon fell from the sky. Pieces of it started to dissolve even before crashing. The rest blew out a shallow crater. The explosion sent pyreflies soaring around the airship.

_Gift._

"Please wake up."

Cloud groaned. He felt like he'd been run over by a tank.

Someone above him sighed. "Next time, let someone else take the cover materia."

"Zack?" Cloud squinted as he felt Aerith's healing magic flow over him. "Can we... land? I think the Weapon dropped something."

For a moment, Zack looked puzzled. Then he shrugged. "Sure. I'll let Cid know."

*7*7*

Cid shook his head. "Damn kid just about dies, again, and that's the first thing he thinks about? Hey, rookie! Think you can land this thing without scratchin' the paint?"

The young pilot saluted. "Yes, sir!"

"Right. Now let's see what the fuss is about."

Cid and Zack joined the rest of the team on the weather deck just as Aerith finished healing Cloud. Kunsel started lowering the ladder, but Cloud didn't wait. He jumped over the railing, quickly followed by Zack.

"#$#& kids. Well, what're y'all waitin' for? Let's move!"

By the time everyone touched down Zack and Cloud had reached the center of the crater. A strange sword stood out of the rock. The guard seemed to be made of black pipes tipped red while the hilt was a dusty blue and gold. A dull blue gem sat in the center of the guard just above the double-edged blade. The blade itself seemed to be an opaque crystal with a dark blue-purple center.

Cloud hesitated until Zack pushed him forward. After taking a deep breath, Cloud grabbed the hilt and pulled.

The blade lit up to a shining semi-translucence. The gem and central line turned bright blue, gradating down to a slightly darker blue near the tip. Cloud gave it a few practice swings.

"It's light."

"Guess it likes you." Zack grinned. "Maybe this is the planet's way of saying it doesn't mind that we're fighting its Weapons."

Barret huffed. "If that's the case, why'd it only leave somethin' for Spiky?"

"I bet the next Weapon leaves something for me." Yuffie puffed up her chest. "I am the White Rose of Wutai, after all."

"Maybe." Aerith smiled as if she had heard a joke that no one else understood.

*7*7*

The Highwind swept low over the Corel desert searching for the next Weapon.

"Oh great." Kunsel groaned and slumped against the railing on the weather deck. "Elemental magic heals this one."

Zack winced. "Hey, Cid, take us up. We're going to need another strategy meeting."

* * *

_And it's back to short chapters. Sorry! Had a little trouble with this one, not to mention 24/7 sinus headaches. Allergies are a literal pain. Now excuse me while I go pass out somewhere quiet._


	116. Solution

_Kristmaskiller: Pyreflies are cool. Though I don't know if they'd stay in a jar._

**Chapter One-Hundred-Fifteen - Solution  
**

Everyone took a moment to recheck their materia and equipment.

"It would be nice if we had a few more of these ribbons." Aerith fingered the extra bit of pink fabric tied to the end of her braid.

Cid snorted. "I don't care what it protects against, now way I'm wearin' that."

Tifa crossed her arms, her own ribbon wrapped around her left arm above the elbow. "Thinking that way can get you killed."

"Okay, that's enough." Zack stepped between Cid and Tifa. "Everyone ready? Now remember to stick close. Exit materia has a limited range even linked to all."

The airship hovered several yards over the desert about a mile from where they'd spotted the Weapon's head poking out of the sand. Yuffie promptly tripped over a newly formed dune.

Zack choked down a laugh. "Well, here's hoping that the walk there will be the hardest part of the fight."

Not surprisingly, the Weapon saw them coming. Even as it erupted from the ground Cloud leaped ahead of everyone else, ready to strike.

Even armed with his new sword all he managed was to chip a bit of armor off the Weapon's neck before ricocheting back.

It waved it's branch-like arms once free of the sand.

"Cloud!"

A thick whirlwind rose to meet him. Then it suddenly vanished along with Cloud.

"SHI-" Another whirlwind rose, taking Cid and Vincent.

Zack glared up at the Weapon. One of the materia in his bracer glowed. Moments later, the world warped around him and everyone, including those who had vanished, reappeared under the airship.

Cid coughed up a lungful of sand. "What the #$*&$ was that?"

"Aside from the obvious?" Nanaki shook the sand from his fur before helping Yuffie to her feet.

Aerith looked over the group. No one had sustained any physical injuries, but the implications from their aborted battle were clear. "What are we going to do now?"

Zack slumped. "I don't know."

"We need a less direct way of fighting it." Kunsel frowned at a spot near his right boot. "Zack, you've fought extended battles in pocket space. What happened after you won?"

"Um. I got kicked out of pocket space. Sometimes the summon materia was left behind but there were a few times when the summon got loose and I had to hunt it down."

Kunsel nodded. "Okay, so bad idea. What if we summoned without pocket space?"

Zack's eyes widened. "Are you nuts? None of us have the training to control something like that."

"Hey, wha' you talkin' 'bout?" Barret looked between Zack and Kunsel then to the rest of the group. "Any o' ya understand this $%$?"

Kunsel crossed his arms. "It's pretty simple. There are multiple ways to control a summon. The simplest and most common is what we've been doing, just bringing the summon out for a single attack. Other commands are also possible, like 'fight this target until one of you is beaten' or 'guard this area for a set period of time.' If you're particularly experienced and confident you can even try giving multiple commands or changing the command as the situation changes. All of which runs the risk that the summon will refuse and even turn on the caster."

"And you want us to try that?" Tifa took a step back. "Summons are part of the planet. Why would they agree to help us fight its Weapons?"

Aerith shook her head. "No. Summons are memories born from the Cetra and humans. They don't serve the planet the way the Weapons do."

Kunsel removed a red materia from his sword and tossed it to Aerith. "Do you think you could talk Bahamut into helping us?"

"I might." Aerith held the summon tenderly to her breast and bowed her head.

"So ya think we might be able ta beat the Weapon wi' this?"

"No." Cloud rested his chin in his right hand, that elbow supported by his left hand. "It's not enough. We still need to find a way to fight."

Cid lit a new cigarette. "It'll make a nice distraction, though. If the Weapon's busy with the overgrown lizard it can't use that whirlwind attack."

"We're going to have to rely on spells, though, if Cloud's initial attack is anything to go by." Kunsel did a quick head count. "Two of us should stay with Aerith to protect her while she's guiding Bahamut. The rest should split into two teams each with one of our non-elemental materia."

Zack nodded. "So when the first caster gets tired the materia can be passed to the next person in line. Good call."

"If it works. We should keep our distance, just in case."

They set about dividing up the materia and picking teams. They had almost finished when a bright red light shone from Aerith's hands. She released the materia, which then shot up into the sky.

The sky warped, dripping like wet paint. Then it pulled away, revealing a huge dark dragon with gold plates protecting its underside. Its claws dug long rifts in the sand as it eyed its temporary master.

Aerith had to lean back to look at its face. "Thank you for coming."

Bahamut snorted and turned its head. Zack and Cloud tried to act as if they hadn't just been reaching for their swords.

Rearing back on its hind legs, Bahamut screeched. Its wings nearly blew even the larger members of the team away as it took off.

*7*7*

The battle was long, but thankfully the only one taking damage was Bahamut. Even though they weren't hurt, everyone was exhausted from spell casting by the end. Aerith, especially, since she had to keep Bahamut on task the entire time.

Zack stretched his arms over his head once they got inside the airship. "There's still daylight left, but we should rest and deal with the last Weapon tomorrow."

Barret groaned. "Ye're tellin' me there's more?"

"Sure is." Cid crossed his arms. "But it's under the ocean. We can't depend on the Turks just happenin' to show up like last time."

"I can call them! Just leave it to me!" Cait danced on his moogle, waving his arms like a little kid trying to get attention.

"Okay, so Cait will do that and from the smell of things the rest of us are going to eat." Zack made a bee-line for the galley.

* * *

_So... Now I have to figure out how they're going to fight Emerald. Which wouldn't be nearly as challenging if it weren't under water. *headdesk* Help!_


	117. Exploitable Weakness

_Kristmaskiller: Not quite the problem I had in mind._

**Chapter One-Hundred-Sixteen - Exploitable Weakness**

After a large meal, even by SOLDIER standards, Kunsel holed himself up in the operations room with his books. No one saw him for almost two hours until he came out looking for Cloud.

"Did you find something?"

Kunsel nodded. "I don't know how much help it'll be, but it's definitely something you should know." He closed the door and walked over to the table where he had a book propped open.

Or, more precisely, an employee ledger with id photos glued to the upper right corner of each page. The picture staring up at them from the yellowed card stock looked eerily familiar.

"Dad?" Cloud stared at the picture. Even without a name there could be little doubt. This man had slightly more angular features, but his eyes and nose were the same. To further prove the relationship, his hair beat Cloud's own for defying gravity.

A full page of things he never knew. Aske Strife, age 16, general laborer at Nibelheim reactor. Cloud did a little addition in his head and realized his dad would've been forty-six now if he had lived. The performance review on file painted a rather analytical picture of a young man who worked hard, followed orders, and seemed to be generally well liked despite not going out of his way to interact with his co-workers. The only thing that could be considered a complaint was a note by the foreman stating, "Strife refuses to take mandatory medical leave for staff in high risk areas."

Cloud turned to Kunsel. "Is this everything?"

"There's a medical evaluation on the next page. Part of it is related to the mako exposure survey Gast was conducting at the time."

Cloud turned the page. The evaluation was mostly unremarkable. Aske Strife had been healthy with no major or even minor health concerns. A note, apparently written by Professor Gast, mentioned a high tolerance for mako. Another note referenced a blood sample with 'unusual genetic markers' but no other details.

It wasn't the same as actually meeting his father, but it was something. At the very least he now knew what the man looked like.

"Thanks."

"No problem. I wish I had more for you, but I think I might be closer to an answer."

Cloud left without another word, but he thought about it for the rest of the evening.

Who was his dad, really? He'd probably never know since everyone who had known him were long dead. Those who entered the Lifestream were pulled apart, their memories and energy added to the great flow that gave life to the planet.

Except mako reactors sucked that life away. Cloud didn't know how his dad died, but it now seemed likely it was some accident at the reactor. Or maybe Hojo had used him in an experiment. The thought sickened him. Either way, there was a good chance that his dad's spirit had been pulled into the reactor as fuel.

He didn't even notice Zack as he ran to the head.

*7*7*

Several minutes later, Zack knocked on the door to the head. "Hey, Cloud, I'm coming in."

Inside, Cloud leaned against the toilet. He looked up at Zack then dropped his head back to his knees.

"Motion sickness got you pretty bad, huh." Zack closed the door and sat in what little room was left.

"No. Well, it didn't help... but that's not the reason." Cloud curled up tighter. "I'm a horrible person."

"What brought this on again?"

"My parents are dead. There's a chance that they've become fuel for the reactor. When I realized that, it made me sick. Before I didn't care all that much about what ShinRa was doing with mako energy. All this time everyone's been talking about the Lifestream and saving the planet and I didn't care."

"So?" Zack leaned over and rested his hand on Cloud's shoulder. "Cloud, that means you're human. Look. When I joined SOLDIER I wanted to travel and make lots of friends and become a hero. And since we're being so honest, I mostly wanted to be a hero to look cool and get girls."

Despite himself, Cloud chuckled.

Zack pulled Cloud into a headlock complete with noogies.

"Ow! Ow! Get off!"

"Never!"

"I'm gonna puke!"

That got Zack backing as far away from Cloud as possible in the tiny space. Cloud leaned over the bowl of the toilet, but nothing came up.

"Zack? Do you think everyone has selfish reasons for being here?"

"I wouldn't call them 'selfish.'" Zack started to relax as it became apparent that Cloud didn't have anything left to spew. "Everyone has their own, personal reasons for being here. Besides, it's the right thing to do. I like to think most people end up doing the right thing no matter what their reasons." He offered Cloud a hand up. "Come on, let's get some sleep."

*7*7*

Dawn witnessed the Highwind slowly float down near an abandoned military base on the coast. Cissnei waited patiently by the dock for Zack's team to arrive. Soon, a familiar head of black hair and a giant sword strode into view.

"Seems you need my services again."

Zack grinned. "Yeah. That sub of yours is the only way to get to the last Weapon. Hope you don't mind."

Cissnei's eyes narrowed even while she continued smiling. "Of course not. I'm rather curious to see how you plan to fight that monster with only five people."

"Huh? Oh yeah." Zack dropped his right fist into his open left hand and looked up at the sky. "Well, we probably wouldn't be able to use most of our materia, anyway. Do you have Gidon with you?"

"Not this time. He has another assignment so it's just me."

Zack looked back at his friends. "So I can pick four. Cloud, Kunsel, Cid, and me."

Cloud turned green. "I'd rather not."

"Then I'll go." Aerith stepped forward. "Who knows, we might have to use the trick Kunsel came up with again."

"Ah- But- Uh-"

Kunsel side-stepped next to Aerith. "I agree. We'll probably have to depend mostly on magic down there and she's the best caster we have."

Aerith leaned forward, her eyes narrowed. "What's wrong? Do you think I can't fight?"

"No! That's not... AAARGH!" Zack threw his hands up in defeat. "Fine, Aerith and Kunsel are in charge of the materia. Cid, do you know how to pilot a sub?"

"Nope."

"It's not a problem." Cissnei did a very poor job of hiding her smile behind her curled hand. "I can show him how to work the controls."

Cid grumbled but ultimately couldn't come up with a coherent complaint. Possibly because of the death-glare Cissnei developed every time he muttered the word 'girl.'

Yuffie turned out to be much more vocal.

"NOOOOO! My materia!" She squirmed and curled herself around the bag containing the materia and spare armor.

Kunsel tried to pry her fingers loose without breaking them. "Come on, Yuffie, you know we're going to need it."

"But not all of it! What if we're attacked up here?"

"That's... AAARGH!" Kunsel glared over his shoulder. "Who was supposed to watch the materia?"

Aerith giggled. "I'm pretty sure that was your job."

Kunsel groaned. Yuffie took the opportunity to shuffle away and point at him. "I'll make you a deal. Leave the command materia with me. It won't do you any good underwater, anyway. Leviathan stays, too, of course, he's sacred to my people and I doubt that something living in the water would be affected by water attacks."

"Okay, fair enough. Though we will want the sense materia."

"I'm not done!" Yuffie pursed her lips for a moment before continuing. "Okay, you can have sense. And I'll also let you pick out whatever materia you think will be most useful, but you can only take those materia! I get everything else!"

Kunsel sighed. "Fine. You can be in charge of the materia until we get back. So hand over the bag."

Yuffie grinned in triumph.

*7*7*

Shadows stretched out toward the sea as Cloud ran through his sword drills. His new sword, Ultima according to Aerith, hummed in tune with his own pulse. Aerith had said that it drew power from his life and that its glow would weaken if he was injured. He wasn't sure if he was comfortable with that.

He finished another set and returned to a resting position. "What is it, Yuffie?"

"Aw! How'd you know?" She dropped from the top of a wall separating the motor pool from the parade grounds. "And don't say you heard me because I wasn't making any sound. Even Red's ears aren't that good."

Cloud shrugged, hoping Yuffie would go away. He wasn't in the mood.

Yuffie gasped. "Vincent's been teaching you his vampire ninja tricks! How dare he! I've been trying to get that out of him for weeks! My people _invented _ninjitsu, this isn't fair!"

"Yuffie, he didn't teach me anything. I just knew you were there."

She stood on tip-toe so she could squint up his nose. "That's what I'm talking about! Wutai ninja used to be able to sense the presence of people who couldn't be seen or heard. That skill was lost generations ago and as the most awesome ninja ever I'm going to bring it back!"

"Uh..."

"Since Vinnie's being all badger-like," Yuffie poked him in the chest, "you are going to teach me."

"I... What?"

*7*7*

"Oh yeah! Finally!" Kunsel punched the air, stopping just short of denting the ceiling of the sub. "It has a weakness! One we can actually use!"

Zack shifted closer to the view port. "Cool. What is it?"

"It's..." Kunsel froze then slumped over. "Lightning. It's weak to lightning and I only brought one lightning materia along."

"What about summons? You brought all of them except Leviathan, right?"

Kunsel nodded. "But only Kujata has a lightning based attack, which also does fire and ice damage. This Weapon absorbs ice, which would negate the entire attack."

Aerith listened with her head bowed. Finally, she stepped forward. "You said it absorbs ice, what about fire?"

"Then that's the answer. We'll use fire and lightning against it."

"Yeah!" Zack pumped his fist. "We've got Phoenix, fire materia, and I think contain is high enough for us to cast flare. Between that and ultima we have this fight in the bag!"

Kunsel frowned, though. "I'd like something a little more certain than that. I'm going to check the torpedoes."

"Then I'll go talk with Cissnei."

"Ah!" Zack made to follow Aerith but ran his head into a pipe. "Ow. Aerith, I think you should go with Kunsel. I'll make sure Cid and Cissnei are getting along."

"Hmm. If you say so." Aerith turned around to follow Kunsel, keeping an eye on Zack until pipes and bulkhead blocked her view.

* * *

_I looked back and realized that Cloud neglected to pick up the Ramuh summon at the Gold Saucer. Oops._

_Yet another example of me going slightly OCD over character height. At 160cm (the English version lists her as 5' 2" but she'd be closer to 5' 3") Yuffie is the same height as me. If I stand on tip toe my height goes up to 5' 5 1/2", but my eye-level is only at 5' 1 1/2". Cloud is 173cm, which, unlike the official English version, comes to a sliver over 5' 8", the same height as my dad. I can get a really good look at Dad's nose hair by standing on tip toe._


	118. Unknown

_Yukio87: Thanks! You're questions will be answered eventually. And Merry Christmas!_

_Kristmakiller: An interesting thing about Sephiroth's height, all the fan translated sources (the various Ultimania guides, mostly) list Sephiroth's height as 'unknown.' The only official source for Sephiroth's height is the English website, and that doesn't give it in metric. Us short people rock!_

_Guest: Thank you very much. ^_^_

**Chapter One-Hundred-Seventeen - Unknown**

The torpedo room was just as cramped as the rest of the sub, though it felt even more so once Kunsel started removing some of the warheads. For a while Aerith just tried to stay out of the way. Anxiety and boredom got to her eventually, so even though Kunsel was concentrating on something inside one of the torpedoes, she spoke up.

"Why is Zack keeping me from talking to Cissnei?"

"What makes you think he is?"

Aerith frowned. "Because he's been keeping me from going anywhere near the command room since we came here. I know Zack and I'm sure I'm not his first girlfriend, so why is he acting like this?"

Kunsel sighed and turned around so he could face her. "Does Zack know that you're sure about it?"

"I..." Aerith tucked in her chin. "But I still don't understand? Is he afraid of how I'd react if I found out?"

"I don't know. For one thing, Zack and Cissnei never dated. But whatever the reason it's a good thing he sent you down here." Kunsel picked up one of the warheads. "These all have mako as the explosive element. Do you think you could charge them up with thundaga for some extra punch?"

Aerith nodded. She held her hands over the warhead and focused on transferring the spell's energy to the concentrated Lifestream in the tube.

*7*7*

Much to Cloud's surprise, and relief, Yuffie dropped the topic of ninja lessons. He continued to train in peace for nearly an hour before a loud boom from one of the warehouses got his attention. Thinking the sound came from a monster, he ran for the nearest entrance.

And nearly tripped over what looked like crudely made bottle rockets.

"Hey! Watch it! It took me a long time to make those!"

Cloud looked up to find Yuffie setting up some sort of see-saw contraption next to a rough pillar of concrete capped with ice. The air hung think with some sort of putrid smoke rising from dozens of the crude bottle rockets scattered across the near end of the room. A few emergency candles provided the only illumination outside the pool of light by the doorway.

"Yuffie, what are you doing?"

"Helping you. I figured if you don't know how you can sense other people consciously, then you must know subconsciously and then best way to make your subconscious conscious is meditation." She stood to observe her handiwork. The see-saw collected water dripping from the ice. After a couple seconds it dropped, spilling the water into a bowl and bouncing back up with an oddly hollow rattle. "Okay, not quite what I had in mind but it'll do."

Cloud shook his head in a vain attempt to ward off the stink. "How can you breath in this?"

"It's not that bad!" She pulled him in before he could protest further. "Okay, so it's not actual incense, but it's as close as I was able to find in the Highwind's galley. Now come on, I got you a place to sit and everything."

She led him to the center of the fog where a couple of throw pillows lay on a large tarp. Yuffie folded herself up on one of them. "First you take off anything that has metal in it then you sit like this, with your feet on top of your knees."

Cloud winced. "I don't think I bend that way."

"Do it!"

Despite himself, Cloud started chucking his armor and boots. He stopped when he got to his belts.

"Hey, what's the hold up?"

Cloud could feel a blush coming on. "My pants... have metal zippers."

"Oh... Uh... Okay. You can keep your pants. Now you just have to get into the proper position. No, both knees have to touch the ground. Your feet are supposed to point up. There!"

"I feel like a pretzel."

"Oh, quit complaining. Rest your hands on your knees palms facing each other and your pointer finger touching your thumb."

Cloud sighed and did as he was told. The discomfort was starting to leave, though that might have been the dizzying effect of whatever Yuffie had put into her 'incense.'

Yuffie returned to her pillow and folded herself up. "Now for breathing. Close your eyes. Deep, slow breath in. Hold... Slowly let the breath out through your mouth... In... Hold... Out... Don't grab onto any particular thought. Just breath and let everything wash away."

"I thought I was suppos-"

"Focus on not focusing!"

Cloud's mouth snapped shut. Maybe if he humored her he'd get out of there sooner.

*7*7*

Zack leaned over Cid's seat as they listened to Kunsel explain his plan.

"It sounds good to me. Now all we have to do is figure out how to fight the Weapon without getting ourselves fried."

Cissnei glanced up at him. "You don't think the torpedoes will be enough?"

"Assumin' he didn't break somethin' messin' around with the warheads." Cid scratched his chin. "This'll take a big chunk outta it but unless it's way weaker than the other two we're still gonna have a fight on our hands."

_"The scuba suits are made of rubber, right?"_

"Mostly. There are areas of exposed skin." Cissnei thought for a moment. "I honestly don't have any experience using materia in this environment."

Zack shrugged. "Guess the only way to find out is to try."

_"Uh, you do remember that you don't fit in the suits, right?"_

"Oh, yeah."

"Zack's right, though. Since we have no way of knowing we have to try. If Zack wants to help then we can work something out."

* * *

_The flu has many downsides. One of them is having to slog through mucous in order to think. Thus the rather pitiful offering that is this chapter. With any luck, I'll be able to do a better job next week._

_Oh, a note about Yuffie's meditation technique, removing metal isn't actually necessary. While she was in training meditation was done in, essentially, pajamas so she just assumed that was a requirement. The shishi-odoshi she sets up also isn't necessary for meditation, though in this case Yuffie actually finds it helpful for timing her breaths._


	119. Parallel Battles

**Chapter One-Hundred-Eighteen - Parallel Battles**

Zack entered the chamber before the airlock to find Aerith tangled in some straps on her scuba gear.

"Aerith? What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to get this on, but it won't cooperate!"

"That's not what I..." He groaned and rubbed his forehead. "Do you even know how to swim?"

Aerith stopped struggling at that. "Well, no, but you're still going to need my help." She smiled. "Though I suppose I could stay. I'm sure Cissnei and I could find _something _to talk about."

Zack turned a little pale. "Hey. You... You're doing this on purpose."

She swung around so her back was facing him. It would have been a lot more graceful without the air tank trying to pull her off balance. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Yeah, right. Where's Kunsel?" Zack suddenly had the feeling he was being set up.

"He's putting the last of the torpedoes back together. He should be here in a few minutes." She turned to face him again, frowning. "Zack, what are you hiding?"

"I'm not, exactly, it's just... complicated." Zack busied himself untangling Aerith's gear. "I met Cissnei the same day I met you. Well, I guess technically I met her the day before, it was pretty late. Anyway, I asked her out a few times but she always turned me down."

"So you thought I'd be jealous of a girl you never managed to date?"

Zack rubbed the back of his head. "No? Maybe? A little bit. I mean, it's weird, 'cause I'm pretty sure she was assigned to watch me but she still turned down a perfectly good chance to do just that. And then she disobeyed orders and helped Cloud and me escape ShinRa, twice. And then there's how she'd been feeding info to my fanclub. What's so funny?"

Aerith waved to give her time to recover from her giggle fit. "I'm sorry. I don't know why it's funny, it just is. You have a fangirl."

"Yeah, over a thousand of them, probably." Zack crossed his arms. "You are not taking this the way I expected."

"Taking what?" Kunsel poked his head through the doorway before entering. "Did the equipment try to attack her?"

"Ha ha." Zack tossed a suit to Kunsel. "You can get changed in the hall."

*7*7*

What was this place? The Lifestream? No. It was similar, but the shifting darkness was too thick.

_Tainted._

He turned around, barely getting a glimpse of his own shadow before a wave of dizziness overtook him.

_Fight!_

"Wha-?" He choked. Something had slithered up his body and around his throat.

_Fight! Protect!_

He couldn't move. He was helpless, completely at the mercy of the shadows.

"Cloud!"

Yuffie?

*7*7*

After fifteen minutes of trying to sit still even Yuffie had to admit that her make-shift incense smelled pretty bad. Maybe this whole meditation thing wasn't such a great idea after all.

She opened one eye to check on Cloud. Amazingly, he seemed completely unaffected by everything he'd complained about earlier.

Maybe he fell asleep. Yuffie crawled over, reaching out a hand to poke him.

And suddenly found a hand wrapped around her throat.

"Hey! Ah!" She kicked and flailed to no effect. Cloud stood, dragging her with him.

That's when she noticed his eyes had turned green.

"Cloud!"

He blinked, once, before throwing her across the room. She scrambled away.

"Help! Somebody! Cloud's gon-AAA!"

Something slammed into her ribs. Cloud's boot, she realized a moment later. She curled up around her bruised and possibly fractured ribs and whimpered.

He'd come for her, she knew it. Maybe if she stayed still she'd get a chance to trip him. Assuming she could move fast enough.

She had to or she'd die.

Wait. Was that a gunshot?

Still shaking, Yuffie looked up. All she could see was an armored boot and the edge of some oddly organic cloth.

"V-vincent?"

He ignored her. "Cloud, what are you doing?"

"I... heh... heh heh heh heh..."

Yuffie heard a gun cock. "Vincent... don't..."

At that moment, Cloud screamed in pain.

"Vincent! What did you do?!"

"Nothing. Can you stand?"

"I... I'm not sure."

She heard Vincent shift, but he didn't bend down to pick her up. He didn't even move his boot so she could see what was going on.

*7*7*

The fireballs speeding toward the Weapon were hidden within a thick curtain of boiling sea water. Zack held up his hand for another firaga spell. As expected, none of the scuba suits had fit him, but that hadn't extended to the mask and breathing tanks. He'd also managed to find a pair of swim trunks that, while a bit snug, at least covered the important parts. Cissnei even gave them an underwater materia in case they had to stay out longer than their air supply would allow.

It all worked very well, though there was one problem.

_"Aerith? You okay?"_ Zack's voice in her ear snapped her attention back to present.

_"Oh, yes. Sorry."_

She could almost hear Zack grin behind his mask as he rolled his shoulders. _"You'll have plenty of chances to stare later."_

_"Ha ha."_

_"Will you two quit flirting and cast?!"_

_"Sorry."_ Though only Aerith sounded sincere. She clasped her hands as she summoned phoenix. The fire bird didn't like being called underwater, but as long as she kept the commands simple and quick it didn't complain.

Or maybe it did and just took out its frustration on the Weapon.

They all paused when the orbs on its shoulder plates started to glow.

_"Incoming!"_ Zack pulled Aerith down against the hull of the sub.

Blue light flooded her vision. What felt like thousands of needles shot up her hands and feet where her bare skin touched the metal sub. She could only imagine what it was like for Zack but he didn't make a sound.

Cid's voice crackled over the radio. _"#$^ %! You kids clear of the tubes?"_

Kunsel answered. _"Yeah. Go for it."_

_"Zack?"_ Aerith wished the masks let her see expressions better. Looking at a person's aura only told her so much.

_"I'm good. Just really hoping we kill this thing before it has a chance to do that again."_

They just might have that chance.

*7*7*

Pain. Pain was good. He could focus on pain.

If only the voices would stop.

_Puppet._

_Chosen._

_Failure._

"Shut up!" He punched the shadows, which felt oddly solid. "I'm Cloud! Nothing else!"

Light drove back the darkness. He found himself kneeling on a broken concrete floor. His fists were covered in dust.

He could hear something, too. Shifting cloth and two people breathing. He looked up. He almost regretted that.

"Vincent? Yuffie? I... I did it again, didn't I."

"So it would seem." Vincent lowered his gun but didn't holster it.

Cloud sat back, finally realizing that his shoulder hurt. A scrape drew a straight line across his collarbone to the top of his arm.

"You should take Yuffie somewhere safe."

Vincent didn't move. "And you?"

"I'll come... later. First, I'll clean up here."

"See that you do." Vincent finally holstered his gun and gingerly picked up the little ninja.

Cloud took a deep breath before standing. The 'incense' had burned out but he still needed to put out most of the emergency candles. He wanted to do something about that noise-maker Yuffie had made, too.

A little later, while he was picking up the candles, Tifa appeared in the doorway.

"How are you doing?"

Cloud shrugged. "Better, I guess. What about Yuffie? I didn't... she isn't badly hurt, is she?"

"A lot of bruises and some cracked ribs. Nothing a cura couldn't fix." Tifa toed a loose bit of concrete. "I think you held back even though you weren't entirely in control."

He kept working without looking at her. "I still hurt her. Whatever came out at that time wasn't entirely Jenova or Sephiroth."

"But it wasn't you, either. You didn't want to hurt anyone."

"I'm not so sure."

"Well I am. Whatever it was may have come from inside you, but it wasn't you." She hurried so she could stand in front of him. "I may not have known you well before, but traveling together and helping each other, I think I've come to understand. You're kind, Cloud. Kind and helpful and good. You're also frustrating at times, but I don't think you mean to be. You'd never intentionally hurt a friend."

Cloud looked away. "Intentionally or not, I still hurt her. I've hurt you and everyone else. When we go to face Sephiroth, I might not be able to fight his control. If that happens... If I turn on everyone... please, don't stop them from stopping me."

"I can't promise that."

Cloud turned toward her, his eyes pleading.

"Because I want to be at your side, helping you fight."

* * *

_Eastern style meditation is dangerous. Even proponents of it mention that doing it wrong can cause side effects like seizures and violent behavior. What I find even more dangerous about it is exactly the point of Eastern meditation. Emptying yourself. If you let yourself float away like that, what's to stop something nasty from using your body while you're not home? Maybe it's because I'm Christian, but I prefer the kind of meditation that fills your mind with something. Granted, I'm not very good at it, my mind is easily distracted, but it's a lot safer._


	120. Back In Focus

_Guest: The support of friends is possibly the best thing for him right now. Thanks!_

_Kristmaskiller: Any kind of bird underwater, except for penguins and certain kinds of diving birds. I wonder if summons breath when they're called. Ha. I take it Ifrit didn't like the Thunder Plains._

**Chapter One-Hunded-Nineteen - Back In Focus**

Zack and Kunsel clung to the hull of the sub with Aerith wedged between them. The last of their modified torpedoes exploded around the Weapon, hiding it from view.

Aerith hoped it was finally gone. They were all tired from casting and aching from the Weapon's energy attacks. As the water cleared, she saw the Weapon lurch forward. She braced herself.

A strange cry echoed around her and inside her. The last of the planet's created defenders fell in a cloud of pyreflies.

_"It dropped something."_ Zack pushed off toward the small object drifting down into the deep.

_"Zack!"_ Aerith reached for him, might have even tried swimming after him if she knew how and Kunsel hadn't held her back.

Soon enough he swam back with a silver ring that was thicker at one side than the other and had stings pulled tight between the thick and thin parts.

Aerith cocked her head. _"Is that a harp?"_

_"I think so. Not sure what we're supposed to do with it."_

None of them did, but unlike the flower they found after the red Weapon had been defeated, it didn't seem right to just leave it either. So they brought it with them when they went back inside.

*7*7*

The scene that greeted them on their return to the dock surprised all of them. Vincent and no one else stood by the gate to the rest of the base.

Cid already had a fresh cigarette lit. "What the #$&* is goin' on?"

Vincent didn't say a word, only glanced at Cissnei.

"I guess that's my cue to leave." She waved as she turned back to the sub. "It was nice seeing you again."

Once the hatch clacked closed, Zack folded his arms and nearly glared at Vincent. "What's wrong?"

"Cloud."

"Where is he?!" Zack didn't wait for an answer. Almost before the words were out of his mouth he was out the gate.

Aerith stepped right up to Vincent. "What happened?"

"He lost control. For now he appears physically stable but more than that I cannot say."

Kunsel frowned. "How did it happen?"

"You'll have to ask him." Vincent glanced down at Aerith. "I recommend against you approaching him."

Aerith set her hands on her hips and leaned back so she could meet his eyes. "Why's that?"

"He injured Yuffie."

*7*7*

When Kunsel and Aerith caught up, Zack and Barret were in the middle of an argument.

"I dun' care! He's gonna end up killin' one o' us sooner or later!"

"No, he's not!"

"Barret." Tifa tried to hold the much larger man back. "Cloud deserves a chance to fight as much as the rest of us. Maybe even more."

"I know that! But, dammit, Yuffie's jes' a little kid."

"Hey!" Yuffie staggered from the dock-master's station, Cait clinging to her leg. "I'm the great ninja Yuffie Kisaragi, not just some dumb kid. And what happened wasn't Cloud's fault."

Kunsel walked toward her. "So what happened?"

"Uh, well... We were meditating. I got everything set up so we could figure out how he got this awesome ninja skill. I had to improvize some things, but it worked really well for, I dunno, half an hour? Then he went all scary. He might not have attacked me if I hadn't poked him."

"He lost control so you poked him?" Kunsel stared at her, dumbfounded.

Yuffie fidgetted. "No... I poked him then he snapped."

"Excuse me." Aerith butted in before Kunsel could think of anything to say. "Where's Cloud?"

Tifa stepped back from Barret, since he seemed to have calmed enough so he wouldn't shoot anyone. "He's with Nanaki. Over there." She pointed to an equipment shed further down the road.

Zack and Aerith went straight there. Kunsel stayed behind to talk to Yuffie, though Cait protested that she was supposed to be resting.

*7*7*

Cloud sat next to Nanaki in the dark. Neither of them had spoken for awhile, they had greeted each other before falling into mostly comfortable silence.

Because of this and their exceptional senses they were aware of their visitors well before Aerith knocked on the door.

"Come in." Cloud figured they'd probably come in whether he wanted them to or not.

Aerith slipped in first. "We heard what happened. How are you doing?"

"You heard what happened."

Zack sat on Nanaki's other side. He glanced down at their four-legged friend.

"He is as one would expect."

Aerith sat next to Cloud. "You know, Yuffie's out there defending you. Barret's upset, but I'm sure he's worried for you, too."

"Yeah. This doesn't change anything."

"Yes. It does." Cloud stood up. "I know you want to help, and I'm not going to run away, but this isn't like before."

"Okay, so it's different." Zack stood up, too. "That still doesn't change anything. We can help you if you let us."

Aerith nodded. "Everyone needs help sometimes."

Soft padded feet brushed against the back of Cloud's legs. "I understand your desire to protect those dear to you. If there is any aid I can offer you need only ask."

Cloud took a deep breath and stared up past the ceiling. "I'm sorry. I just don't know how you can."

*7*7*

Eventually, various personalities settled down enough so they could all head back to the Highwind. Though everyone still felt tense between Cloud's most recent episode and the knowledge that they had taken out the last of the Weapons.

There couldn't be any more delays.

Zack stood in front of everyone in the control room. "This is it, everyone. We're going to face Sephiroth and save the planet. No more side quests."

"We have to find him, first." Kunsel glanced up from the one, woefully inadequate, map they had of crater area.

"Uh, yeah. So, anyway, I won't make anyone come who doesn't want to. It's possible that we might not all make it."

"Huh?" Cid frowned. "What's the matter? Ain't ya supposed to be more optimistic?"

"Nothing. I'm just... uh..." Zack scratched the back of his head. "We've been through a lot together and this will probably be the toughest fight yet."

Cloud stared out the view port. "You can't fight if you don't know why you're fighting."

Barret jerked his head back. "Wha' you talkin' 'bout? We're fightin' ta save the planet!"

Tifa stood next to Cloud. "You're talking about what you mentioned before, about wanting to fight Sephiroth for personal reasons."

"Yeah. It sounds cool to say that we're fighting for the planet, but I'm sure we all have something or someone close to us that's our real reason. If we don't know what that important thing is how can we keep going?"

"I'm fighting for materia!" Yuffie punched the air. "And to restore Wutai to its former glory. Can't do that if Sephiroth wins, right?"

Barret crossed his arms and huffed. "Guess ya got a point there. Lookin' back, I made a lot o' mistakes an' got friends killed sayin' I was savin' the planet when all I was really doin' was takin' revenge on ShinRa. Now... I'm fightin' for Marlene. I want her to have a future."

Cloud nodded and looked over the rest of the group. "What about the rest of you? You don't have to say, but if you aren't sure or you don't want to fight anymore..."

An awkward silence lingered as Cloud tried to find the words to finish his thought. Zack came to his rescue.

"It's already afternoon. How about we take a break and think about what we really want to do. Anyone who still wants to come should be aboard the Highwind at first light tomorrow morning."

With murmurs and much shuffling, the band broke up, each going their separate way. Some went further then others. From the sound of paper and the lock on the door, it was easy to guess that Kunsel had barracked himself in the command room. Cid didn't even leave the control room. In his own words, "Where the Highwind goes, I go."

That left Zack, Aerith, Cloud, and Tifa as the only other ones still on-board. Zack and Aerith gave Cloud and Tifa reassuring smiles before disappearing somewhere below decks.

* * *

_So! Last Weapon beaten, our heroes have the earth harp but don't know what to do with it, and everyone has to decide whether they'll actually show up for the final battle or not. Zack's a given, of course, what with his hero complex and sense of responsibility. Aerith has her duty as the last Cetra and her love for Zack. Cloud has his need for revenge and to protect his friends, and Tifa is going wherever Cloud goes. Everyone else's reasons will be explored in the next chapter. I may even manage to fit in a modified version of the Night Under The Highwind scene._


	121. Dreams and Pride

_Kristmasskiller: Something a lot of fans (even Cloti followers) seem to forget. This fic won't be going into citrus territory, but... well, read and find out._

_Guest: You can say it, but that doesn't mean it will happen._

**Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty - Dreams and Pride**

Cid took a lond drag on his cigarette as he looked over his crew. "Well, what're ya'll standin' around for? Go home! Spend time with yer families, get #%*$&, I don't care. If the world's still around in three days than hoorah, if not then at least ya had fun at the end."

The crew looked at each other before the pilot trainee stepped forward. "Sir, you said that where the Highwind goes you go. Well, for us, where you go we go, so we're staying."

"$%&$ bunch of idjits." Even so, Cid grinned. "But ya still got shore leave till 0500! If ye're late don't bother showin' up at all!"

Everyone cheered, though some were more eager to take their leave than others. One of the slower ones was the radio officer, who Cid nearly threw out of his chair.

"Get movin'! I got a call to make."

"Uh, where to, sir?"

Cid glared up at the man. "That's private! Which is what ye're gonna be if ya keep askin' questions! Now git!" He waited until the control room had been evacuated before taking several deep breaths and flicking on the appropriate frequency.

"Home Base, this is Highwind. Come in, Home Base."

_"This is Home Base."_

"Shera? Great, I don't have to get some idjit to go find ya. So how are things? Anybody slackin' off?"

_"Everything's fine, Captain. Launching the rocket gave everyone extra energy. Some of the younger engineers are working on a project. They won't tell me what it is, just that it's a surprise for when you come back."_

"Great. Here's hopin' it doesn't blow up the whole town." He closed his eyes for a second. "Look, things are... Well, we might be done soon so I just wanted to make sure ya have a pot o' tea ready for me. Might be a few days yet, but this might be the last chance I get to call before then."

_"The green tea I ordered from Wutai should be here today or tomorrow. I'll have enough for everyone."_

"Good girl. Make sure to keep those idjits in line, too. Highwind out."

*7*7*

Cait hopped along on his moogle toward a small bluff facing the Corel Desert. As he reached the top he found the spot already occupied by Nanaki.

"Ho! Fancy meetin' ye here. Sorry if I'm interuptin' anything."

Nanaki looked over his shoulder and smiled. "Not at all. Perhaps we can help each other with the task Zack and Cloud presented to us."

Cait slid off his moogle to sit against Nanaki's left shoulder. "I would think it'd be an easy one for ye. After all, ye've got yer home and grandad to think about."

"True. My duty is to protect the canyon. However, if I were to die in this coming battle then Cosmo Canyon would be without a guardian."

"Ah, I hadn't thought o' that." Cait tilted his head back so he could watch the stars. "I don't have family, ye know. Unless ye count Reeve, seenin' as he made me an' all. On the one hand, I don't have any reason to stick around, but on the other I haven't any reason not to."

Nanaki cocked his head so he could look at Cait. "Reeve does not control your decision?"

"Oh, he could, but it ain't his life, now is it?" Cait thought for a moment. "Well, maybe it is. After all, he'd die along with everyone else if we lose. So would I, for that matter. Seems a bit o' a waste to sit around doin' nothin'."

Nanaki nodded. "I do not wish to do nothing, either. I promised Grandfather that I would become a brave warrior like my father. Abandoning the quest now would be shameful."

"That's one way o' lookin' at it." Cait yawned and snuggled in. "Another is makin' the most o' whatever time ye have left."

*7*7*

Aerith curled up next to Zack on the pile he made from bags of wood shavings and chocobo blankets. "To think they have a stable on board. How do you think they get the chocobos on?"

"There's probably a ramp for them somewhere." Zack wrapped an arm around her, holding her close. "I'd feel a lot better if you stayed behind."

"I know, but I wouldn't. This is my fight as much as it is yours."

"Yeah. I know."

Aerith closed her eyes. Zack's presence shone through her eyelids, his warmth soaked through her clothes.

"So warm."

"What's that?"

"You're so warm. Like a blanket and space heater all in one."

Zack chuckled. "Guess all that mako was good for something." He brushed a few stray hairs out of her eyes. "You know, I could find us a more comfortable spot. Or at least a real pillow."

Aerith did her best to fuse her cheek to his chest. "Here is perfect." Regardless of the itchy wool blankets or the bits of twig and straw poking at her arms and legs.

*7*7*

The Highwind had landed near a road leading to North Corel. Zack had offered Cid's services to take Barret to Kalm, but Barret had declined. He'd already made his decision and feared that if he saw Marlene he wouldn't be able to leave her again.

He was doing this for her, for her future. Still, it scared him that he might not be part of that future. All this time he thought he had prepared himself for the possibility but confronted with reality he started shaking in his boots.

Not knowing what else to do, he roared and emptied a clip at a stand of trees.

No. He got on this train a long time ago. No way he was getting off until the end of the line. He just wouldn't think about any possibility but success. Then he'd see Marlene again and they'd start a new life. Kalm seemed like a nice place. He'd have picked North Corel, but most of the people there were rough men. Marlene needed friends her own age. She'd be starting school soon, too.

Still, he'd like to help rebuild Corel. Especially now since the people there had forgiven him. Maybe he could leave Marlene with Elmyra sometimes. He could take working trips as a construction worker or monster hunter to earn money for her schooling. Maybe even save up some to take her to the Gold Saucer.

Yeah. Those were much better things to think about. So long as he stayed focused on his goal there was no way he would lose.

*7*7*

Yuffie played with her sense materia, the same one she'd been letting everyone use to figure out the Weapons' weaknesses. The same one Cloud had given her back in North Corel.

Of course, she didn't really need to go on this walk. She already knew exactly why she was there and nothing and no one would change her mind.

She just needed to get off that stinky, mobile torture chamber, that's all.

Her sense materia was almost mastered. Pretty soon she'd have a little baby materia to bring home. Before all this, she never would have considered something like sense to be all that useful. Now she knew better.

Between playing catch with herself and using the materia for its intended purpose she did manage to think about what Zack and Cloud had said.

She knew, though she wouldn't admit it to anyone and would deny it if it were ever suggested, that even without her home to return to and loads of materia to find she'd probably stick around anyway. She liked these people. Even cranky ol' Cid and Barret. And Vincent was cool. Scary, but cool.

At some point, she'd gone from actively trying to steal their materia to just trying once in a while to tease them. Tifa and Aerith were like sisters to her, which was beyond cool because she always wanted older sisters.

She frowned. That reminded her, everyone saw her as a little kid. They might not let her come along. Well, just let them try. She was coming whether they wanted her to or not.

*7*7*

For a while, Vincent seriously considered returning to his coffin. With Hojo dead, he had no particular reason for staying with this odd group.

No, that wasn't quite true. He gazed toward the mountains where Lucrecia had hidden herself. She had asked after her son and he lied, telling her that Sephiroth was dead. Just one lie out of thousands he had told over the course of his life. It certainly wasn't the worst of them.

She did not need to know what kind of monster her son had become. She would not know. For her sake, he would insure that Hojo's legacy ended.

If he were a bit more honest with himself, he might have realized that the attachment he'd developed toward the people he hesitated to call friends also influenced his decision.

*7*7*

Putting down yet another nearly incomprehensible thesis, Kunsel rubbed his eyes. It had been hours since Zack told everyone to go think about their reasons to fight, and Kunsel hadn't given the matter an ounce of consideration.

Instead, he had thrown himself into try to find a way to help Cloud. Whether as a friend or from his own obsessive tendencies or out of a sense of guilt, he didn't know, and now maybe he was ready to ask.

He leaned back and stared at the ceiling. Obsession was definitely a factor. He hated leaving jobs unfinished and puzzles unsolved. But that wasn't a good enough reason, was it?

What they were about to do... he didn't have to participate. He could stay behind, keep researching, hope they'd come back alive, and maybe he'd have something useful when they got back. If Zack ordered him to come along, he'd do so without thinking twice. Never mind his military training, Zack was his friend and Kunsel would follow him into the depths of Hell, literally if need be.

Zack hadn't given that order. Quite the opposite. So now Kunsel found himself in the odd position of deciding for himself where he'd do the most good.

He looked back down at the mess of journals and notebooks covering the table. "No point in all this if we're dead in three days."

*7*7*

Tifa sat on a rock just outside the pool of the Highwind's landing lights so she could watch the stars. From the light crunch of boots on dry grass it seemed someone came to join her.

She glanced over her shoulder. "Cloud?" He'd been avoiding her all day, or so she thought. Even now he wouldn't look her in the eye.

"I just came to see if anyone had come back yet. And see if... maybe you were cold."

"I'm fine. It got a lot colder than this in Nibelheim. Besides, the stars remind me of home." She looked up again. "Do you think they'll come back?"

Cloud stayed where he was. "I'm not sure. They all have something irreplaceable to cling to, but this time our opponent..."

"That's okay. Even if no one comes back, you and Zack are here. As long as I'm by your side... I won't give up, no matter how scared I am."

"By my side... Tifa..."

"Before all this, we were far apart, but in the Lifestream... you probably don't remember this, but I heard you calling to me. Or, at least I thought I did."

Cloud nodded, though standing behind her he knew she couldn't see. "Yeah, I heard you, too. You and Zack helped pull me out. You reminded me of who I really was."

"And you're still that person, no matter what."

Though she hadn't moved, Cloud still hid his face when he felt his cheeks heat up. "I guess... There are still a lot of unanswered questions, but the answers are out there. We just have to keep looking. Right, Tifa?"

"Yeah. That's right."

He buried his face deeper into the collar of his shirt. "Hey, Tifa... I... There are a lot of things I wanted to talk to you about, but... Now... I don't know what I really wanted to say." He huffed. "I guess nothing's changed. Kinda makes you want to laugh..."

Tifa smiled. "Cloud... Word's aren't the only thing that tell people what you're thinking."

She gasped when he collided with her back, his arms wrapping around her body for a moment before backing away.

"Did I hurt you?"

"No. Not at all." Though the way she rubbed her shoulders seemed to say otherwise. "Just... your armor..."

His eyes widened and he fumbled to remove his suspenders. For some reason his fingers just wouldn't cooperate. They got worse when Tifa reached over to help.

Neither of them could say afterwards how it happened, but they ended up tangled together surrounded by the bulkier parts of their gear.

* * *

_I made it! And ahead of schedule. With this extra time I may be able to get a little written in the next chapter._

_A note: I do not approve of sex outside of marriage. That being said, it bothers me when so much of the fanbase seems to either forget that The Night Under The Highwind happened or assume that they kissed and nothing more. Tifa would not have been so embarrassed the next morning if that were the case. At the very least there was some petting involved._


	122. Roundabout

_Sal: I don't judge, either. I still don't approve._

_Kristmaskiller: Thanks! And lol! Kwee~_

_Guest: Once a week isn't fast enough?_

**Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-One - Roundabout  
**

The first thing Cloud became aware of was Tifa's scent. Her breath on his neck. He wanted to hold onto her and never let go. He wanted to kill anything that threatened her.

_"Sh! I think he's waking up!"_

By the time Cloud opened his eyes there wasn't anyone in sight.

Tifa shifted against him. "Hmmm. Cloud?"

"It's almost morning."

"Just a little longer." Somehow, she managed to snuggle closer to him. "This moment won't come again, so I want to be here just a little longer."

Cloud couldn't think of an argument right then. "Okay..."

"$#%$ adorable."

"Cid!"

Cloud and Tifa sprang apart as if struck by lightning. Above them, they could hear several people laughing. Cloud managed to glace up first. Leaning over the railing where Zack, Cid, and Cait. A flash of pink identified Aerith behind them.

Zack grinned down the couple. "Everyone's going to be here soon. Pretty sure you'll want to be inside and fully clothed before then."

Tifa squeaked, quickly wrapping her arms around herself. Granted, Tifa still had her shirt and skirt on, but both where rumpled and damp from dew. Yet she didn't feel cold until that moment.

She realized why when she glanced to her side and noticed that Cloud wasn't there. He had moved between her and the Highwind.

Zack laughed, but he knew when enough was enough. "Okay, let's give them some privacy! Everyone inside!"

*7*7*

"That was mean!" Aerith ran after Zack as everyone headed below deck.

"Mean would've been not warning them." At Aerith's look he shrugged. "Okay, so maybe I should've told them when we were down taking pictures instead of after Cid and Cait showed up. I was excited! I wasn't thinking!" Zack rubbed his nose. "Besides, he has a really hard head."

Aerith smiled. "He isn't the only one. Now give me your phone, I want to see the pictures again before them get here. You know, Cid's right, they are adorable."

"Yeah." Zack stretched before resting his hands behind his head. "Who do you think made the first move?"

"Hmm." Aerith tapped her chin for a moment. "Tifa, I think. Cloud wouldn't do anything unless she gave him express permission."

Zack started to laugh when he suddenly stopped and turned around.

"What is it?"

"Kunsel should've been up an hour ago. I'm going to check on him."

The door to the operations room was still locked when they got there. Zack pounded on the door until he heard something heavy fall along with several smaller things. At that point just punched the door open.

Kunsel blinked up from where he lay tangled in a chair and partially buried in paper. "Zack? What the hell?"

"Uh." Zack rubbed the back of his head. "It's almost 0500."

"Right. You know Cid's going to kill you for breaking the door."

Before Zack could respond they heard Cid swear loudly from down the corridor.

"What the $#&# did you #$&#$ do to my ship!?"

Zack stepped between Aerith and the irate pilot with his arms up as a shield. "It's just a door! I'm sure it can be fixed!"

Cid glared up at Zack. "Yeah? That still doesn't explain why ya felt the need to put yer fist through it!"

"I... uh..." Zack looked past Cid. "Cloud! Tifa! Man, am I glad to see you!" He pulled Aerith with him as he escaped. "We're going to be pretty busy once everyone gets here so we better train we can."

"Hey! I'm not done with you!"

Zack stared at his friends with his best puppy dog expression. "Now?"

"Uh... sure?" Cloud looked to Tifa for verification.

She shrugged. "I've been wanting to work with Aerith on my spell casting, anyway."

"You guys are life savers!" Zack scooped Cloud and Tifa into a hug before running off with them and Aerith for somewhere far from Cid.

*7*7*

That Barret returned came as no surprise to anyone. And it turned out Nanaki had returned sometime during the night. Zack found him asleep in the cargo hold when he dragged Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith there to escape Cid.

No, the big surprise came when Vincent strode into the control room. Even Zack stared at him.

Vincent might have raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Oh, uh, with Hojo gone, I kinda expected you to go back to sleep." Zack rubbed the back of his head.

Cloud stood next to Zack. "You're always so cold... I thought you didn't care what happened."

"Cold? Hmm... I guess that's how I am. Sorry."

"It's fine." Aerith stepped toward him and smiled. "We all have our own way of expressing ourselves."

Cid did a quick headcount. "Looks like everyone's here except the brat."

Barret huffed. "She ain't gonna show. Least this time she didn' steal our materia. Guess we gotta be grateful for that."

"How could you say that!?" Yuffie dropped from the ceiling. Where she could've been hiding up there baffled everyone. "I came all the way here after being seasick as a dog! I didn't go through all that just to have you guys keep the best parts all to yourselves!"

Cloud smiled. "Welcome back, Yuffie."

Yuffie's cheeks turned pink. "Gee, Cloud... That's nice of you to say that... You sick? Whatever. I'll be in my reserved seat in the hall. Urk!"

Cid yelled a variety of threats as she retreated.

Zack grinned. "All right! Sephiroth won't know what hit him! We're going to the final battle!"

Kunsel coughed. "Ah, first we should head to Kalm. Cissnei texted me and said she found someone who was willing to take the harp you found in exchange for some powerful materia."

"Did someone say materia?" Yuffie appeared in the doorway. "What are you waiting for? Get this tin can moving!"

"Shut yer trap! Ya ain't in any position to give orders!"

Zack rubbed his eyes. "Okay! Kalm _then_ the final battle."

*7*7*

Zack and Kunsel went to see the man in Kalm. Partially because they didn't want everyone swarming into the guy's house and partially because they needed several people to keep Yuffie from following them. That turned out to be an excellent plan.

Kunsel tried in vain to keep his amazement hidden. "Where did you find these?"

"Oh, if you want to know that it'll cost you more than one earth harp." The man set his prize on the bureau. "I will say this, though, I nearly paid for them with my life."

"Are you sure y-oof!" Zack rubbed his stomach and glared at Kunsel for elbowing him.

Kunsel acted like nothing had happened. "Thanks for trading with us. I promise we'll make good use of these."

Once safely outside, Kunsel made sure the three materia were still safe in his pocket. "We are definitely not letting Yuffie near these."

*7*7*

Finally, they reached the northern crater. Or what was left of it. The ridge remained intact, including an area stable enough to secure the Highwind to, but there wasn't a floor. Instead, a twisted honeycomb of rock fell down into the depths of the planet. How far, they couldn't tell, clouds of Lifestream mist rose to mingle with more natural mist flowing around them.

Barret cursed under his breath. "This place gives me the willies."

"Still time to back out." Cid jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "Ladder's that way."

"Nothin' doin'! I'm seein' this through to the end!"

Cloud tested the edge of the slope. "We won't be coming back up this way."

"We'll deal with that when the time comes. Let's go!" Zack slid down to the first ledge with far more enthusiasm than necessary.

With very little debate, but a lot of shoving, Barret went down second followed slowly by everyone else.

Zack lead the way down the crumbling path. Without having to talk the guys arranged themselves so the girls stayed in the middle of the line, Aerith being in the exact center.

The footing got worse the further down they went. It wasn't wise, but most of them kept their eyes fixed on the ground. Tifa was the first to look up and notice the grotesque statues leering down at them.

"What are those things?"

Aerith glanced up. "Statues?"

Cloud stiffened as he looked up. "Gargoyles."

"Not good." Zack picked up the pace a bit. "Pass it on that we have to stay quiet. If we're lucky they won't start waking up until we've found more solid footing."

Of course, their luck never worked that way.

* * *

_And not as much action as I was anticipating. Kunsel just had to remind me, and everyone else, that they still had an errand to run. I dub thee, Sir Mood Killer. Also skipped the rather dramatic scene where Cid seems to experience a reversal of gravity, or something. Honestly, I've never been able to figure out what was supposed to be going on there besides the crew expressing their loyalty to Cid. I've already taken care of that so no need for extra confusion._


	123. Down the Hole

**Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Two - Down the Hole**

They saw more gargoyles the further down they went. Soon they reached a small cave. Kunsel checked it and confirmed that it went back up to the crater rim. Still trying to make as little noise as possible, they crept past with Zack in the lead.

So Zack was the first to notice the trickle of sand ahead of them. He held up his left fist to signal a halt.

One step forward to investigate. The walls shook loose rocks down around them. A second step would have sent Zack tumbling down along with the pieces of ledge that used to form the path ahead. Cracks and rumbles echoed throughout the crater.

Yuffie grabbed the back of Aerith's jacket. "They're moving!"

Zack backed up against the wall. "Cid, what do you think of this jump?" He pointed to the section of path that hadn't fallen into the unknown.

"I can make it, assumin' the other side's stable. Cait and the li'l lady might have a problem."

"Listen up! We're jumping across! Kunsel, Vincent, Nanaki, watch our backs. Anyone who doesn't think they can make it gets carried by either me or Cloud."

Tifa and Cloud glanced at each other and blushed.

"I, um." Tifa cleared her throat. "I can make it. I was Zangan's top student, after all."

"Yeah." There seemed to be a note of disappointment in Cloud's voice.

Aerith and Cait got rides, of course. Turned out Barret needed on as well. By the time everyone except the cover team got across something started moving up the side of the ledge.

Several somethings, with plant-like growths scattered over flat bodies and long, thin tails.

"Wha're those things?" Barret backed away from the edge.

Zack frowned. "Parasites, I think. About a dozen of them."

"I've got just the thing for them!" Cait rubbed his hands together. "Let's see, yes, that one will do." He pointed to one near the front, which promptly turned around. "Oh, now that's handy. Yes, that'll do."

The manipulated parasite reared back and blew out several rainbow-hued bubbles. Each bubble popped when it touched another parasite, releasing sprays of fire, lightning, and ice shards. Most of the parasites fell into the mako clouds. A few managed to come within range of Zack and Cloud's swords.

Kunsel and the rest arrived just as the last parasite fell. "Something tells me this is the easy part."

Aerith shifted a little closer to Zack. "What could possibly live so far below the surface?"

"You'd be surprised." Zack kept his sword out as he led them down. "Though not everything may be technically alive."

Cid started a new cigarette. "Now there's a cheerful thought."

About three dozen more parasites, roughly half that many gargoyles, and a strange red and white creature with scissors for hands later, they reached another fork in the path. Both wound down into a maze of broken ledges sloping toward the center of the crater.

Barret groaned. "Great. So which way?"

"Right!" Yuffie nearly ran off on her own. Kunsel pulled her back. "There's something shiny down there! It's gotta be materia!"

"Sounds good to me." Zack jumped down to the right-hand ledge.

Turned out there were several shiny things, but only one was usable materia. While everyone discussed who would get it, Yuffie started counting on her fingers.

"Hey! There's an extra summon!" Yuffie pointed randomly into the group. "Who picked up a summon without telling me?"

"It's one of the materia Zack and Kunsel traded the earth harp for." Aerith set her hands on her hips when Kunsel frowned at her. "What? She's going to find out eventually."

"You were hiding materia from me!? How could you?" Yuffie's bottom lip started to tremble.

Since everyone else just went on with what they were doing, it fell to Kunsel to deal with her. "Because you'd try to take them and they're far too powerful for you to handle." He pointed to his own sword. "This command materia grants access to every naturally occurring command. Aerith's has more summons than I've heard of. There's also one for every naturally occurring spell. And, no, I am not telling you who has it."

"It's not fair! Come on, I have slots left, give me one!"

"You already have Leviathan. You don't have enough mental stamina to cast that many spells."

Before Yuffie could turn on the waterworks, Aerith pulled her into a half hug. "We're depending on you to find more materia for us. You can't do that if you wear yourself out."

Yuffie pursed her lips. "Well, I am the best treasure hunter in the world. Okay, but once this is over I expect some serious compensation!"

"We'll see what can be arranged." Kunsel glanced over at Zack, who was grinning like a loon at him. "You owe me."

*7*7*

Noon came and went. The ledges became tunnels and huge caverns. There were fewer gargoyles but just as many parasites, not to mention more of those scissor-handed monsters. Those they tried to kill as quickly as possible since they had the startling ability knock people out even if they missed.

Then they ran into real trouble.

Cid swore as he slumped against a nearby stalagmite, the last of the pyreflies drifting above. "Dragons. What the #$& are _dragons_ doin' down here?"

"They do nest in caves." Kunsel waved off Aerith's offer to heal him. "It's getting close to that time of year, too."

"#*& wonderful."

Yuffie flopped onto her back. "I'm tired! If there's more of them I'm not fighting!"

"Hey, don't be like that." Zack looked over all the exhausted faces of his friends. "We at least have to get away from here before we can eat."

Nanaki nodded. "Other monsters will be attracted to the commotion we made."

Grumbling and groaning, everyone got up and started walking again.

Tifa fell in step beside Cloud. "Do you think Sephiroth is sending these monsters to wear us out before we reach him?"

"Maybe. I didn't sense any Jenova cells in them, though."

Zack suddenly stopped, setting of a ripple of complaints. "Sh! Listen."

For a moment only the distant drip of water could be heard. Then something like a bullfrog trying to purr.

Kunsel spun around. In the shadows behind them a tiny lantern appeared, carried by a round figure dressed in brown robes. It waddled toward them.

"Tonberry!"

"I know!" Zack faced a second little figure blocking their path forward.

* * *

_Sorry for the short chapter. This section of the game is long and low on plot but high in random encounters. It's a spectacular setting, though, and I don't want to pass over it too quickly as it's important for establishing battle fatigue. It's still hard to write. Even more so when I can't feel half of my face. Got a couple cavities filled. Hopefully this will be it for dentist appointments this year._


	124. Drowning

_Kristmaskiller: Tonberries are notorious for being the bane of gamers. And thanks for the sympathy. Going to the dentist is torturous._

**Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Three - Drowning**

Penned in by two miniature monsters with barely enough room to fight. Not the way any of them wanted to go by a long shot. Worse, most of them were too tired and hungry to keep a clear head.

As evidenced by Yuffie screaming as she summoned Leviathan.

"Not here!"

Who said that wasn't clear. That anyone heard it was remarkable in itself. The sea god screamed in the narrow space above their heads, writhing in his attempt to target both threats. His barbles flared out and twin walls of water rose in front of the tonberries.

Water also rushed into the space between. Cait shrieked and jumped from his moogle to the top of Barret's head. Nanaki and the now riderless robot were thrown between legs like pin-balls, knocking everyone off balance. By the time Leviathan returned to his materia they were all soaked and sprawled out in a pile between two very damp monsters.

Zack groaned as he picked himself out of the pile. "Everyone stay down, I have an idea."

A few people tried to protest, but the effort proved too much. Zack shuffled in front of the tonberry blocking their path forward. The monster cocked its head and sped up from a slow waddle to a graceless hop. Barely a yard before it reached Zack it tripped, throwing it's tiny butcher knife. Zack dodged and watched as the knife tumbled through the air. It landed, point first, between the other tonberry's eyes.

The little lantern that tonberry carried dropped to the stone floor, followed by the tonberry itself. For a moment nothing moved or made a sound. Then the first tonberry croaked, picked itself up, and waddled back the way it came.

Cait poked his head out from under Vincent's right knee. "What just happened?"

"Dunno." Barret shifted as something grumbled under him. "Wuzzat?"

"Git yer #$*% smelly ass _off me_!" Cid managed to throw Barret aside and stood up, wobbling a bit but staying upright with the help of his spear. "Now, if there ain't any objections, I vote for stayin' put till we're dried off."

Yuffie sniffed. "Good luck with that. I've been sitting on Nanaki's tail this whole time and my butt's still wet."

"My tail is not actually on fire." Nanaki yanked it out from under Yuffie, glaring at her.

Aerith let Zack help her up. "We should at least eat something. Drying our clothes can come after."

Tifa crossed her arms over her chest. "It has to be in that order?" She couldn't help but notice how Cloud was looking everywhere but her.

"If there was, I'd take it." Aerith wrung out a corner of her skirt. "I'm wearing wool."

"That's good. Wool dries faster than anything. I'm just hoping the food didn't get soaked." Zack helped Cait get his moogle upright so they could open the back.

Cloud stared at nothing much for a moment before shrugging out of his suspenders. He then pulled off his shirt and handed it to Tifa.

"Oh, uh."

Noticing the puddle forming near Tifa's feet, Cloud blushed. He wrung the shirt out away from her before trying again.

Tifa tried to smile at him but had a hard time moving her eyes higher than his shoulders without blushing. She ended up hiding in the shirt on the pretense of trying to get it on over her clothes. Granted, it was rather tight around her breasts. It also smelled like Cloud, along with several other, far less pleasant, things.

"All right! Food!"

"All right! Loot!"

Zack and Yuffie held up their prizes at almost the same time. A bag of jerky and a bottle of what looked like an elixir. Yuffie skipped away from the tonberry's body. "Not as good as materia, but maybe it'll help! Cool, huh?"

"I'll say." Kunsel tried to take the bottle only for Yuffie to duck out of reach. "It looks like it might be a megalixir."

"A what?" Barret poured water our of his boots.

"A megalixir. If it's broken open it'll restore the energy of everyone present. We can use it before the final battle."

Barret screwed up his face either in confusion or concentration while trying to put his boots back on. "Why not use it now? Sure could use a little refreshin'."

Zack shook his head. "Fighting Sephiroth is going to be even harder, and we only have one of these. But we've got loads of jerky!"

By the time they had finished chewing the jerky most of them were significantly drier. Vincent seemed to think he was among them, as he voted for moving out right away. No one wanted to tell him he looked like a drowned rat.

Short of trying to cast fire without burning their clothes no one hand an idea for quickly drying off, so they ended up moving on while still damp.

A few feet past the turn where one of the tonberries had appeared the tunnel opened up into a huge cavern. Immediately in front of them a series of platforms lead down to a wide stage ringed by craggy pillars. The side closest to them slanted down to a hole in the stone wall. The opposite side seemed to have a narrow path leading down into the fog.

Cid squinted into the distance. "So which way, boss? Can't say I like the looks of either o' them."

Zack crossed his arms. "I don't know."

"I do! I do!" Yuffie grabbed Aerith's staff and ran to the front. She held the staff out at arm's length with the butt planted firmly on the rock, then let go.

The staff wobbled for a moment before falling to the right.

"Creepy hole in the wall it is!"

"What the $#^# was that?"

Kunsel pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's a form of traditional Wutanese divination."

"Might as well check it out." Zack thought for a moment. "Kunsel, Vincent, and Nanaki, go scout out that path. The rest of us will see if we can find a better view of the rest of the cavern."

Aerith picked up her staff. "I'd like to try talking to the planet. We might find a short cut that way."

The two groups split at the bottom of the line of platforms. Cloud and Tifa headed to the edge of the stage while Aerith knelt with her staff carefully placed in front of her.

Tifa fiddled with the edge of Cloud's shirt. "This cave seems to go on forever."

"Not quite." Cloud pointed into the distance. "Do you see those blue lights? They're coming from the far wall."

"Really?" She could tell there were lights, but that was it. "It must be handy, being able to see so well."

"Sometimes." Cloud's attention turned to the fragments of path leading down to the floor far below. "If we end up going this way we'll probably have to find another way back up."

That's when they heard Aerith scream.

*7*7*

Aerith let her consciousness drift along the currents flowing all around her. The Lifestream felt congested and parts of it actively tried to push her away. Every so often she noticed a tendril of darkness reaching up from the deepest parts.

Jenova. Aerith tried to follow the next strand that appeared. The Lifestream pushed at her harder until it almost hurt.

Then the strand of black moved.

Images, sensations, blood, death, fire... She could feel steel running through her chest and mako burning in her veins. All she could do was scream and scream and scream.

*7*7*

Zack caught Aerith as she collapsed. Her screams echoed in the distance, eerily joined by much less human sounds.

"Wha' happened? She gonna be okay?" Barret jerked around, trying to keep any eye on whatever might come and look at Aerith's too-pale face at the same time.

"I don't know!" Zack held her close.

Cait shivered. "Ohhhh. I have a bad feelin' 'bout this."

Yuffie noticed Cloud and Tifa returning first. "Cloud! Something's wrong with Aerith!"

"Sephiroth found her." Cloud kneeled next to Aerith on the side opposite Zack. "I'm sorry. I should have seen this coming."

Zack shook his head. "That's not important. Right now we have to focus on bringing her back."

Barret yelled and started shooting. "Wha' the hell're those things?!"

"$&#%! Looks like we've got company! Zack! Git yer girl under cover, we'll deal with the monsters."

Zack only took a moment before she pressed Aerith into Cloud's arms. "You have the best chance of reaching her."

"But..."

Zack gripped Cloud's shoulders and stared him right in the eye. "Please."

Cloud adjusted his grip so he could draw Heaven's Cloud from the makeshift harness across the back of his belts. "I've got ultima equipped. Take it."

Zack pulled the materia from near the sword's hilt. Then Cloud ran for a small alcove under the platforms they'd just climbed down.

Tifa started to follow him until she saw the shapes forming in the mist.

Skeletal dragons. Pieces of flesh stretched around misshapen, jointed ribs turned in insectiod limbs. Behind these abominations flew living dragons.

Zack sniffed behind her. "We need to find a better spot. There's at least one malboro coming, too."

* * *

_This little twist came as a surprise to me, which is part of the reason this chapter is so short. It took a while to figure out what the consequences would be. Still working on some of the details. Aerith needs to develop some psychic armor, and pay attention when the Lifestream tries to keep her from going in certain directions._


	125. Out of Alignment

**Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Four - Out of Alignment**

How could Zack trust him so much when he didn't even trust himself? Aerith felt so fragile. If he lost control or even tripped he might kill her.

That didn't even get into what might happen while running around inside her mind.

Soon after he reached shelter Barret opened fire on the monsters. Cloud closed his eyes. He needed to get this over with quickly so he could go back to what he was most comfortable doing.

He tried to make her comfortable on the stone floor, which ended up mostly making sure her back was straight and there weren't any loose rocks under her. He took her hand in his. She felt cold.

"Aerith, please."

*7*7*

She couldn't see. At first it had been a blessing compared to the scenes of fire and blood she had been subjected to before. Now, the darkness sat so heavy on her eyes that she feared it might try to eat them.

She could still hear. Thousands of voices screamed in either agony or anger. She tried to curl up with her hands over her ears, but that didn't help. From somewhere inside her own head a tiny voice whispered just below the din.

_No one's coming for you._

_There's no escape._

She had almost gotten used to floating by herself when something cold and wet touched her elbow.

She screamed.

The thing next to her whimpered. Something furry bumped her hip.

A dog. How a dog had found her in this place she couldn't say even if she had thought to question it. She just accepted that it was there and seemed to be friendly. And so she tangled her fingers in his fur and let him take her wherever he wanted.

*7*7*

Zack slashed off a couple pincher-ribs from a zombie dragon while Tifa slid underneath to take out the legs. It reared back as best it could. For a moment, Zack and Tifa found themselves floating in a strange star-scape before falling back into reality.

They barely had time to register their injuries before Cait cast curaga on them. "I don't know how much longer we'll be able to hold them back!"

"And the malboro hasn't appeared yet." Tifa leaned on her knees for a moment.

"Malboros are easy. I'm more worried about the dragons." With that, Zack ran to support Nanaki.

Tifa glanced up and noticed a dark dragon circling above looking for an opening. "Yuffie!" Seeing she had the other girl's attention she cupped her hands down near her knees.

Grinning, Yuffie ran under a flying tooth (probably knocked out of the mouth of the dragon Cait just cast comet on) and stepped into Tifa's hands. A toss and a jump and Yuffie all but flew just in front of the circling dragon. She flipped back over its snout so she could stab at its eye.

She missed, but still managed to hook one of the points of her shuriken between the dragon's brow-ridge and skullcap. With a lot of desperate grasping she managed to get her fingers around the opposite brow-ridge so she could wiggle her weapon free.

"Time for you to meet a real dragon!" The summon stone in her shuriken glowed for a moment before Leviathan burst into reality accompanied by a salty spray.

*7*7*

He thought for sure he had made a mistake. Instead of a field of flowers all he could see was darkness.

"Aerith?" The darkness swallowed his voice so he could barely hear himself.

"Zack?"

He stiffened for a moment before managing to turn around. She stood with her back to him a few feet away. "No. I'm sorry."

"Where is he? Why hasn't he come for me?" She turned, slowly. At first her eyes were closed. As she faced him her eyelid opened, revealing empty sockets. "Why are you keeping him from me!?"

He stumbled back. "I'm not! I'm here to take you to him!"

"Liar! Liar! You tried to kill me! I hate you!"

This couldn't be Aerith. It had to be a trick, an illusion. She couldn't really feel that way, could she?

"Sephiroth! This is your doing, isn't it!"

Aerith grabbed his suspenders. Blood started to leak through her dress where she had been stabbed weeks earlier. "Why are you fighting? Do you think the planet will accept you if you save it? You are poison! You defile everything you touch!"

"Stop it!" He squeezed his eyes shut. "You're lying!"

Yet he had thought the same things not long ago. His memory was full of failures and mistakes.

_"As long as I'm by your side... I won't give up, no matter how scared I am."_

_"You're kind, Cloud."_

_"I want to be at your side."_

"Get away from me!" He shoved the fake-Aerith away. "Where's Aerith? The real Aerith?"

The apparition started to wail. Heart-twisting howls filled the void as it sank to what might have been ground.

* * *

_These scenes were a little tricky to do. Partially because I'm not where I normally would be right now. Helping out family doesn't always leave a lot of time for typing. It's all good, though. ^_^_


	126. Switched

_Guest: Yuffie definitely got to prove her worth here. Cloud may see through the illusion, but will it help him find the real Aerith?_

**Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Five - Switched**

Even though the darkness remained, she gradually gained some sight. The first thing she noticed, and the most startling, was that her guide wasn't quite a dog. Rather, she had attached herself to a large, grey wolf.

The wolf apparently noticed her reaction and looked back at her with oddly familiar blue eyes.

She leaned into its fluffy side, reassuring herself and it with the gesture. "I feel like I should be scared, but somehow... I think you're trying to help."

*7*7*

He covered his ears and tried to run away from the screaming. He couldn't see the fake-Aerith anymore, but that didn't help any.

"It's a lie. I have to find Aerith. The real Aerith."

_"And what will you do when you find her?"_

He winced at the voice. "I'll get her out of here."

_"There is no way out. If you go to her she'll only fall further into the darkness."_

"You're lying."

A morbid chuckle filled the void. _"Do you want to test that theory?"_

In front of him, a tiny speck of light appeared. He took a single step and froze. It could be a trap. Another illusion meant to take him further away from Aerith.

What if Sephiroth was telling the truth?

_"Pathetic puppet. Unable to move without guidance."_

"I am not a puppet!"

_"So say those who don't understand."_ Sephiroth's voice brushed his ears. _"You're part of me."_

He jerked back as if struck. The action only seemed to amuse Sephiroth.

_"There is no escape because this darkness is me and I am in you. Go ahead. Go to the flower girl. I will finish what I started in the Forgotten City."_

He backed away from the light. "No. I won't let you." He glared at the darkness above him. "Sephiroth! You can do whatever you want with me, but I won't let you hurt her!"

He expected a snide comeback, something along the lines of 'as if you have a choice.' For what felt like a long time no response came at all. Then a painfully shrill, wordless keening overtook his senses until he curled up on himself in a vain attempt to shut it out.

_"You will regret this bargain."_

As long as his friends were safe, he regretted nothing.

*7*7*

The darkness had faded to a foggy grey some time ago when the wolf started howling in pain.

"What is it? Where are you hurt? Maybe I can help."

The wolf shook its head and started running. She held on of dear life until the wolf suddenly stopped as if it had run into something. It clawed at the air then shook itself until she fell off. The instant her fingers tore away from its fur it disappeared.

For a moment she didn't know what to do, or if she could do anything. Then the grey faded into white and her field of flowers spread out around her.

"Cloud. No! Cloud! What are you doing?!"

The darkness remained in the distance. She recognized it. Jenova's taint tied the Lifestream in knots outside the safe bubble of her mindscape. How, she couldn't say, but that wolf was connected to Cloud and both had put themselves in the center of that storm.

*7*7*

The malboro finally arrived at about the same time as the fifth wave of deformed dragon zombies. Unfortunately, that meant Cait didn't notice it until after it had flooded most of the battlefield with it's noxious fumes.

Zack and Tifa quickly found themselves the only ones not turned into frogs. And that the only frog not asleep was a panic-stricken Barret trying to shoot everything whether it moved or not.

"Grab as many as you can and fall back!" Zack back-flipped over the malboro, splitting what could be called its head in the same motion.

Tifa did as ordered, scooping up who she thought might've been Cid and Yuffie along with Barret. Zack grabbed Cait as soon as he made sure there wasn't enough left of the malboro to make trouble.

They hadn't planned it, but their only available line of retreat took them almost straight to the alcove Cloud had taken Aerith to. Zack set Cait down and turned to face the monsters.

Tifa hesitated. She was sure Aerith had their heal materia, but she didn't know if touching her would affect whatever Cloud was doing.

Cloud didn't look good, either. His eyes were squeezed shut and his skin had taken on a tight, clammy appearance.

"Ah!" Aerith suddenly jumped awake. "What... What's happening?"

Tifa all but shoved the frogs into Aerith's lap. "I don't know! Cloud!"

Cloud had collapsed into a drooling heap soon after Aerith woke up.

Zack wanted to check on Cloud, hug Aerith, reassure Tifa, and make sure everyone got healed. Instead he forced himself to focus on the rapidly approaching dragons. For a moment he heard Nanaki's voice asking what bravery was. He raised his sword and dozens of balls of light fell on the swarm.

Before the dragon zombies could recover, Zack jumped into their midst, swinging with all his remaining strength.

One down. Two. Three.

His head hurt and he could feel blood drip down his legs. Still, he kept laying into the dragon zombies as if he weren't even scratched.

Black orbs slammed several monsters to the cavern floor. The rest were engulfed in flaming pillars.

Trying to find the source of the magic, Zack spun around.

Kunsel, Vincent, and Nanaki ran toward him from the lower tunnel. Vincent shot over Zack's head, dropping the last remaining monster.

"Man, talk about great timing." Zack resisted the urge to collapse right there, settling instead for returning his sword to his back and walking as steadily as he could back to the alcove.

By the time they reached it everyone had been de-frogged and were sitting just outside the opening looking tired and miserable. Aerith in particular looked close to tears.

Kunsel took one look at the sad little party and turned to Zack. "What happened?"

"I'm not really sure. I think Sephiroth sent the monsters after us but other than that..." Zack shrugged.

"There was a wolf."

All eyes turned to Aerith. No one had expected her to speak. She shrank a little and Zack put an arm around her even though it hurt to move.

She briefly tried to describe what happened. Not an easy thing, since she wasn't entirely clear on most of the details.

"Wait." Kunsel held up a hand. "Cloud was a wolf?"

Aerith shook her head. "It was part of him, I think, or at least associated with him. I'm not sure."

"Huh. That might be a point in favor of the berserker theory."

"%#$& idiot." Cid glared over his shoulder at the prone figure still in the alcove. "All that self sacrifice's worth squat if we gotta lug his $ *% ass around while fighting zombies and # *&."

Kunsel winced. "Try king behemoths. We found what looks like the quickest way down but there are at least six of them blocking the path." He looked over the group. "We're either going to have to use the megalixar now or camp here for the night."

Yuffie flopped on her back. "I vote for camping. I'm so tired I don't think anything could revive me."

"We don' have time fer that!" Barret jumped up. He swayed dangerously before sitting down again.

As tempting as sleep sounded, Zack had to agree with Barret. "We've got less than a day before Meteor falls. We'll just have to hope there aren't any more surprises between here and where Sephiroth is."

"And Cloud?" Tifa hovered at the edge of the group, almost inside the alcove.

Zack stared at his friend as trying to plead with him to wake up. "I don't know."

* * *

_So a little plot movement here. Aerith's back but Cloud's out for now. It's kind of appropriate that they're taking a downhill path. And there's a lot more downhill to go. Looks like we'll be skipping the weirder sections of the cave system, too. A little disappointing to me, since they're fun to look at if a little creepy to think about, but it's a lot quicker this way._


	127. Gathering Clouds

**Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Six - Gathering Clouds**

Images swirled around him. Mistakes, regrets, friends broken and bleeding while he's helpless to do anything.

"Memories. They're just memories. Everyone's safe. That's all that matters."

_"Is that what you think? Then watch closely."_

*7*7*

There had been a lot of arguing over who would stay behind. Tifa, of course, refused to take one step away from the alcove. Yuffie had volunteered, too, and was quickly reminded that this was guard duty not nap-time. Finally, it was decided that Vincent would stay with Tifa to guard Cloud.

So there they stood, not moving, not talking, and in Vincent's case maybe not even breathing. The whole situation started to feel very creepy to Tifa.

She glanced around for something, anything, that could be used to start a conversation and finally settled on the smooth wood visible above the dark leather holster at Vincent's side.

"That's an unusual gun, isn't it? I've never seen one like it before."

Vincent barely nodded. "Custom made."

"Oh. But aren't three barrels rather... impractical?" After all, Barret's gunarm had four barrels, and he often had trouble hitting dragons. Though she also noticed that Vincent rarely missed.

He didn't answer for quite a while. Tifa was starting to think he wouldn't when he finally said, "Sometimes."

And that used up all the conversation Tifa could think of. At least the conversation she dared use. Everything else sounded silly, though it would have been normal with anyone else.

So, again, they stood, not moving and not talking, until something shifted behind them.

"Hello, Tifa."

Both Tifa and Vincent spun around. Cloud's voice sounded strange in a way that couldn't be explained by fatigue. In a single motion, Cloud stood. Tifa barely had time to process this information when she felt Cloud's fingers wrap around her neck.

Almost instantly she heard the crack of a gunshot. Cloud barely flinched, but it was enough. She drove her knee up between his legs while pushing against his arm. She tore away from his grip, wishing for a moment that she had knee pads.

Cloud smirked briefly. In a flash of movement he had Ultima in his hands. Vincent felt the tip fly across his shirt as he jumped away.

"Cloud! Snap out of it!" Tifa slid behind him, trying to pull his sword-arm back.

He elbowed her in the chest.

Vincent shot again only for the bullets to ricochet off Ultima's broad blade. The next instant he found that blade sticking out of his chest.

Cloud pulled his sword free and watched Vincent crumple into a bloody heap.

Tifa tried to jump him from behind but he batted her away.

"Cloud. Please..."

"He can't help you." It was Cloud's voice, but the way he spoke sounded like someone else. Someone Tifa had heard before and the realization made her shudder even as she raised her fists to fight.

Between one breath and the next Cloud had her pinned against the back of the alcove.

"I wonder how he would react to seeing you break."

Tifa bashed her head into his nose. "That's not going to happen!" The small space of the alcove reeled around her, but she shook off the dizziness and pressed on.

Cloud, no, Sephiroth in Cloud's body, easily dodged and blocked most of her strikes. The few that connected seemed to have little effect.

She spun in a round-house kick.

Sephiroth-Cloud caught her foot and pushed her to the ground. He leaned over her, his hand sliding down her leg toward her skirt. His bare chest touched the tips of her breasts through her borrowed shirt.

"Now begins your punishment."

An inhuman scream rose from just outside the alcove. Something black and red swooped in, knocking Sephiroth-Cloud off Tifa and into the opposite wall.

"Vincent!" Tifa scrambled away from the monstrous form her companion had taken. Huge, tattered wings twitched with annoyance in the confined space.

Sephiroth-Cloud didn't struggle when Chaos lifted him by the throat. Instead, he smirked. "Go ahead, creature. The puppet has served his purpose. Just know that anything you do to him will not affect me in the slightest."

"No! Vincent! Stop!"

Chaos snarled and tightened his grip.

"The beast will not obey you. This is the end for the one you called Cloud. His body, at least. Do not worry, he will live on inside me."

"NO!"

At that moment Tifa didn't care what Chaos or Sephiroth did to her, she would not let Cloud die. She flung herself onto Chaos' arm and her heart skipped as Cloud's eyes widened and looked, for a moment, like the boy she knew.

The moment passed and Sephiroth smirked with Cloud's face.

Chaos growled at both humans, throwing the female aside while keeping his grip on the tainted one. Still she persisted in grappling with him. Though part of his task had been to rescue her, he now saw that she was preventing him from dealing with the threat. If she was stupid enough to protect that which wished her harm, then so be it.

His host did not see things this way. Again and again Chaos pulled, pushed, or threw Tifa away from Cloud, each time growling and snarling more fiercely. Cloud was alternately dragged along the floor or hung in the air like a piece of meat.

Tifa stood, panting, a short ways in front of Chaos. "Cloud. Please." She took a single step forward.

Chaos drove the claws of his left hand deep into the stone before her feet. His wings opened as wide as the space would allow and he roared at her to stay away.

She took another step.

Chaos swung at her. His claws snagged in the thick knit of the SOLDIER shirt she wore, pulling her along. She gasped for only a moment before her head hit the floor. Chaos shook her in an attempt to free his hand from her shirt.

He almost had it before a steel-toed boot struck hard and fast in his side.

"Tifa." Cloud gulped in air as he crawled over to her. "Tifa."

Chaos snarled from where he crouched near the back of the alcove. Cloud glared up at him.

"Don't... touch her."

Something in his voice startled Chaos enough that Vincent was able to take full control. Slowly, the pale blue skin turned an equally pale pink, glowing yellow eyes turned a less obviously glowing red, and wings faded into a tattered cloak.

Cloud nodded once before fainting.

* * *

_And for the second time I steal a chapter title from Tolkien. This one's from The Hobbit, in case anyone's wondering. I thought it rather appropriate, considering the focus._

_Now Cloud has Chaos' attention as well as the planet's and Jenova's. This can't end well, I think._


	128. Dive Down

_SapphyreMyst: Yes._

_Rosyan: Vincent's important, but he's quiet. So even though he might not say or do much, when he does or says something it's going to have an impact._

**Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Seven - Dive Down**

After a long series of tunnels and platforms over seemingly bottomless chasms the team stopped to rest in a large, round chamber dominated by a glowing green hole in the floor that constantly released a moaning updraft. Zack leaned against the smooth rock wall and started ticking off on his fingers.

"Two ahrimen, one master tonberry, and only three of the king behemoths you spotted."

Kunsel raised a finger. "Don't forget that machine that ambushed us while Yuffie was trying to snag that materia. I'd like to know how long it'd been down here."

"Sure didn't look like anythin' Scarlet designed." Cid blew a wisp of smoke into the stream coming from the hole. "Maybe somethin' from before ShinRa started buildin' reactors. Now, are we goin' down this accursed hole or not?"

Zack strode toward a broken section of rock that seemed to be the only way down. "Right. Let's go!"

Kunsel started to follow, then suddenly stopped and looked back at the tunnel.

Nanaki also stopped and lifted his nose into the air. "Something foul is coming this way."

A terrible roar echoed through the chamber. Everyone looked up and around trying to find the source.

Cid pointed to an opening across the hole from them. "More o' them #$% zombies!"

Barret heaved his gun-arm toward the distant surface and started firing. "Gargoyles!"

"And king bahamuts comin' from behind!" Cait clung to the top of his moogle. "Ochone! I dunno if I can take much more o' this!"

Zack started to draw his sword but Kunsel gave him a hard look.

"Go on!"

Cid nodded. "We got this! Go give Sephiroth what's comin' to him!"

"I'm not leaving you behind!"

"Don't you think Sephiroth knows that?" Kunsel backed toward the edge of the hole. "He's trying to delay us. You have to go and fight him."

Barret glanced over before returning to his barrage against the gargoyles. "Don' worry 'bout us! We'll catch up!"

"And I'll go with you."

Aerith only made it a couple steps when Zack grabbed her shoulders.

"No. I can't let you."

"But..."

"No!" Zack took a deep breath. "I understand that you have to be here for Holy, but I can't let you face Sephiroth. Not after the Forgotten City."

"But you can't go alone!"

"I'll go with him, then." Kunsel pulled Aerith away from the edge. He tried to smile as he passed her. "We'll be fine."

Aerith had very little time to doubt his words. Almost the instant Zack and Kunsel disappeared down the hole the monsters fell upon them.

*7*7*

Tifa awoke to fluffy yellow hair tickling her nose.

"Cloud..."

He shifted and Tifa found herself jumping away, remembering that the last she saw him the personality in control was Sephiroth.

Cloud turned toward her. It took a moment for his eyes to focus.

"Tifa... I'm sorry."

She folded forward and smiled. "You're back."

"Yeah." He refused to look directly at her. "I wouldn't be except... Sephiroth seems to be distracted."

"Then the others must be fighting him. We should help."

Cloud shook his head as much as he could while laying on his stomach.

Tifa squeezed her hands into fists. "You'd rather stay here while our friends risk their lives?"

"I'd be risking their lives by going to them."

"Perhaps not."

Both jumped at Vincent's voice. They had completely forgotten about him.

Cloud shuffled into a seated position a little ways from Tifa. "What do you mean?"

"That it is possible Sephiroth will not gain control over you during the battle. Your presence may even tip the odds in our favor. The choice is yours."

Cloud hung his head for a moment. Then two. Finally, he looked up, his face hard. "Let's go."

*7*7*

A heavy blade easily three times the size of the Buster Sword whistled under Zack's feet as he jumped. The massive suit of armor wielding the blade turned its attention to Kunsel.

Kunsel nearly rolled off the edge of the floating chunk of rock after he dodged.

Zack landed on a smaller rock near the rushing wall of Lifestream surrounding them. He held his sword out horizontally, the back facing him and braced with his left hand. The Buster Sword glowed gold before releasing a nearly a dozen red energy bolts at the animated armor.

The armor made a noise like rending metal.

Kunsel slid under it, waiting for it to take a step before shooting a gravity spell at the side now unsupported.

It groaned as it toppled over. It grabbed with its free hand and flailed with its sword. Kunsel might have been hit if Zack hadn't appeared at that moment to deflect the giant blade. This final act irreversibly unbalanced the armor. Both SOLDIERs watched as it tumbled into the unseen depths.

Zack spun his sword over his head before sheathing it. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks for the save." Kunsel checked the distance between them and the next floating stone below. "I have a bad feeling this path isn't being held open by the planet."

"Does it matter?"

Kunsel shrugged. "Probably not."

They jumped down a few more levels until they reached a broad platform broken up by uneven white tiles and rimmed by large, twisted, black cubes.

Zack checked around the edge. "I don't see a way down. You?"

Kunsel shook his head rapidly, backing away from the far side. "Worse."

A monstrous mockery of a flower bud made of flesh rose from beneath the platform. Where the stem would have been grew a vaguely female torso topped by a grinning death's head. Instead of arms it had tentacles that split in three at the end.

"Jenova." Zack glared at the thing and charged.

*7*7*

They were nearly overwhelmed. Aerith renewed the regenerative spell on her friends but it could barely keep pace with the injuries they received. The gargoyles were doing the worst damage as they weren't limited to the narrow ledge between the cavern wall and the hole.

She glanced over at the tunnel they had come from. At first she thought it was just a trick of the light. On a second look the spot took shape.

Cloud, with his shirt back on, all but flew through the monster horde, Ultima blazing in his right hand while Ama-no-Murakumo glinted in the other. Beside and slightly behind him, Tifa pummeled anything that managed to survive the initial onslaught.

Further back, Aerith caught the flash of a gun.

By this time most of the others noticed, too. Yuffie tossed her shuriken then waved both arms over her head.

"Hey! Choco-butt! You're late!"

Cloud's eyes narrowed, but otherwise he didn't respond. As soon as he burst clear of the passageway he sheathed Ama-no-Murakumo. Looking up at the gargoyles, he spun Ultima over his head then held it doubled-handed over his shoulder. Something like a heat haze wrapped around the blade until he swung. A whirlwind caught the gargoyles and most of the remaining monsters, spiraling them up until they couldn't be seen.

Tifa and Vincent took care of the remaining king bahamut. Cloud looked across the group, searching.

"Where's Zack?"

Cid jerked his head toward the hole. "He and Kunsel went on ahead. Now that y'all're here I guess we can follow."

They didn't reach the edge of the hole. An awful roar shook the cavern apart. The floor fell out from under them and they fell into the eye of a storm of Lifestream. Barret and Cid swore all the way down.

Cloud snapped out an arm to pull Tifa to him. With her secure he then tried to reach for Aerith. And stopped.

"He's here."

The light faded to nothing for a moment. In the distance a tiny flicker appeared and grew into a globe of light in the darkness.

"Holy?" Aerith's voice seemed so distant.

* * *

_I have a little more written, but this is the best chapter ending I have right now. Hopefully this makes sense. Mucus makes it hard for me to be sure._


	129. Divinity

**Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Eight - Divinity**

Reno dove into an alley to avoid a bouncing produce truck. He swore at the bits of trash the wind threw in his face. Rude tried to shield his sunglasses from the flying detritus.

Using Rude's body as a wind break, Reno pulled out his phone. "Damn it. The cell towers must be out."

Rude pulled out his own phone and grunted when he saw that his phone had no bars, too. "Want to head back?"

"Yeah. This is one show I don't want ring side seats for."

*7*7*

"Yes, I understand. I'd still feel better if... Of course. Just take care of yourself. I love you. Bye."

Reeve rubbed his eyes after hanging up. Elena stood nearby, watching.

"Who were you talking to?"

Reeve didn't look up. "My mother. She's... stubborn. I hope we all survive this."

Elena nodded. "Me, too."

*7*7*

Cloud felt like he must have passed out for a moment because suddenly he was laying on a rock floating a short ways from a tumorous growth wrapped around the glowing orb he'd seen earlier. Tifa lay next to him. Barret and Aerith were unconscious on a rock to his right. He could see Cid a little ways to his left. He was still trying to find the others when he heard Zack's voice.

"Everyone's here?"

Barret shook himself awake. "Uh. Guess so. Where'er here is."

The tumor pulsed, knocking everyone into the air where they hung, unable to move.

Sephiroth shimmered into view in front of the tumor as more pulses pulled them in and out.

"Damn it!" Cid's struggles only resulted in his face twitching. "I can't control my body!"

Yuffie looked more than a little green. "I don't think I can go on."

"Nobody give up!" Zack tried to put on a brave face, but his eyes were wide with fear.

Aerith in particular struggled for breath. "It's here... Holy is here."

"An' wha're we 'sposed ta do 'bout it?"

"We can't give up!" Though just saying that clearly took considerable effort on Tifa's part.

The most eery thing to Cloud was that Sephiroth didn't say anything through all this. He just smiled.

Suddenly, a protuberance on the growth surrounding Holy shot out, completely engulfing Sephiroth. It shifted and swelled into a hellish cocoon with two faces and bulbous wings. As it finished forming the telekinetic hold loosened and another pulse shot the party in three directions.

Cloud and Tifa went in different directions. He saw Aerith fall toward him and reached out to catch her.

No sooner had he grabbed hold of her than Cait's moogle knocked him in the head.

"Sorry 'bout that, laddie!" Cait clung to Nanaki's mane as the last guardian of Cosmo Canyon landed next to Cloud.

Cloud set Aerith down and looked for the others. He couldn't see anyone, but he could see lightning and ultima spells explode against Sephiroth's pupa form.

"Do you have enough energy to cast?"

Aerith, Cait, and Nanaki all nodded. Cloud held his hands out and cast wall on Aerith.

Nanaki cast flare on the monstrous cocoon.

Cait reached a hand to stop Cloud from casting again. "Save yer energy. I got master magic linked to all, remember?" He then shouted "wall" into his megaphone.

The spell glittered around them moments before a wave of flame roared over their floating island. Aerith fell to her knees, almost all the way if not for Cloud catching her by the arm.

"I'm, I'm okay." Aerith stood with Cloud's help and folded her hands. The master summon in her staff glowed.

Darkness surrounded them. Giant warriors in armor straight out of a production of Loveless rose up to strike their enemy with every weapon imaginable. As they passed the darkness turned into a rushing, spinning star-field.

The last warrior appeared in shining white armor wrapped in a red cloak. He swung a sword forged for kings, shattering the pocket space.

Cloud winced. For a moment, before the summon disappeared, he felt that last warrior stare at him.

"Cloud?"

He glanced at Aerith and tried to smile. Movement around Sephiroth's cocoon quickly drew his attention.

The smaller head above the main body was moving. A partially formed torso and what looked like wings were starting to emerge.

Cloud thrust out his hands and summoned phoenix. The great fire bird had barely faded when the cocoon started to collapse.

*7*7*

Zack, Kunsel, and Yuffie stood on a platform opposite from Cloud and slightly higher. Yuffie whooped at the phoenix's apparent victory.

"Hold on. What's that?" Zack pointed to the back of the upper portion of the cocoon.

A glowing crack snaked down where the spine would be. More cracks spider-webbed along the surface.

Zack spun to face Kunsel and Yuffie. "Get back!"

The cocoon exploded in light and feathers. Kunsel already had Yuffie pulled to the far edge of the platform. Hoops of gold bright as the sun rose from the crumbling remains of the monstrous form. Hair of burning silver floated above an angelic visage with arms spread wide.

No. Arm. Where the right arm would have been sprouted instead a wing seemingly carved from obsidian. Sephiroth's human appearance ended here and at the waist, which was shrouded in smoke. Six fluttering wings hung where his legs should have been.

Yuffie clung to Kunsel. "Where's the ground?!"

Nowhere, it seemed. The floating platforms, the Lifestream, everything had been replaced by a swirling bank of sunset-tinted clouds.

Zack pulled his focus back to Sephiroth. Even if he couldn't see what he was standing on he still had to fight. It looked like Sephiroth had cast some sort of spell on one of their still-unseen teammates.

Kunsel took a cautious step forward. "Do you have enough energy to summon Bahamut?"

Zack nodded. "Just barely." The summon materia on his armband glowed before the king of dragons dropped from the shifting sky.

"I think that means we're already in pocket space." Kunsel extricated himself from Yuffie. "So we probably don't have to worry about falling."

"That doesn't make me feel better." Yuffie's grip on her shuriken tightened. "I think I'm going to be sick."

Zack had a comeback ready when he saw the expanding globe of boiling gas behind Sephiroth. "Down!"

Both SOLDIERs threw themselves on Yuffie, trying to shield her from the burning air and crushing pressure of Sephiroth's ultimate limit break.

The attack passed and Zack started to relax. Until Kunsel's fist hit him in the face.

Kunsel and Yuffie's eyes were glazed. Zack realized that neither had protection against confusion. He had to knock them out of it somehow without wounding them more.

*7*7*

Vincent ducked under Cid's spear and punched him in the gut. Nearby, Tifa socked Barret in the jaw.

Barret shook his head. "Wha' was that?"

"Sorry." Tifa shot a thundaga spell at Sephiroth. "You and Cid were confused."

Cid grumbled, or tried to. No sound came out.

"It seems the attack has the potential to silence as well." Vincent's face, what could be seen of it, remained deadpan as he turned his attention back to the battle.

Barret returned to spraying bullets at Sephiroth. "Like it makes a difference. Don't think any o' us got much left to cast with."

Sephiroth's white wings spread like the tentacles of an octopus reaching for the ocean floor.

Cid lunged forward. His spear cut through feathers and skin but little else.

The obsidian wing swung down into Cid's shoulder. He opened his mouth in a silent scream as he slid back across the unseen floor.

Tifa ran to him. She didn't have any potions and even if she had restore materia she couldn't cast anymore. But she still tried her best to straighten Cid's shoulder. With her back turned she didn't see Sephiroth's attack, only a blue light. When she looked around Barret was gone. In his place a large toad slowly waved a tiny gunarm.

They were losing. She couldn't see how the others were doing, but she could see the spells they cast and Sephiroth's lack of reaction to them.

A hand wet with blood latched onto her wrist and pulled. She looked down at Cid trying to pull himself up.

He ground his cigarette nearly in half and shook his head at Tifa.

"I know." Her hands shook as she tried to get Cid to lay down again. "I know."

*7*7*

Nanaki's legs shook. Blood dripped into his good eye and down his neck. Cait lay motionless a few feet away, his moogle lost since they were pulled into pocket space. Aerith knelt nearly, still trying to maintain barriers but her reserves were flagging.

They were losing.

Cloud looked up at Sephiroth. The Jenova cells in his body screamed at him for giving up the chance to be one with the new-born god. Every other part wanted nothing more than to rip that embodiment of evil into tiny pieces.

Blue flames spread up his arms as he jumped straight at the abomination. Blue fog spread out from Sephiroth. Cloud was only vaguely aware of the tiny shards punching through his body. He could still move, so he could still fight.

Cloud drove Ultima deep into Sephiroth's side.

Sephiroth didn't even flinch.

Rage fed the blazing aura now completely surrounding Cloud. He kicked off, severing the obsidian wing from Sephiroth's shoulder.

This finally got Sephiroth's attention. He reached for Cloud with his remaining human limb. His fingers shifted into claws surrounded by small black orbs.

A moment before Cloud lost consciousness he thought he saw Zack.

* * *

_This was ridiculously hard. One long fight scene. And the setting almost guarantees that most of the attacks are going to be long range. That makes choreography simple and incredibly difficult. I wish I had a valid excuse for changing the circumstances, but I can't see Sephiroth wanting to make things easier for our heroes. Not to mention solid ground probably being hard to come by in the center of the planet._


	130. Fate

**Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Nine - Fate**

The first blurry thing he saw was a face framed by a halo of light brown hair.

"Heaven?"

Aerith giggled and poked Zack's shoulder. "Silly. Now get up. We have to make sure everyone's okay and get out of here."

"Yuffie!" Zack sprang to his feet. "She was knocked out. Did you find her?"

Aerith nodded. "She's, ah, 'helping' Cid put Cait back together."

"Should we rescue him?"

"Cid or Cait?"

Zack chuckled. "Both." He looked around, noticing they were back in the last cave. Or what was left of it. They were on a portion of ledge surrounded by tall rocks so he couldn't easily see the rest of the team. "Who else do we need to find?"

"Cloud's the only one still missing. Nanaki was badly injured when I last saw him, but Vincent and Kunsel were taking care of him when I left to find you. Tifa and Barret are looking for Cloud."

They saw Barret first after stepping out into the open. Zack jogged over, switching to a sprint when he saw Tifa trying to climb down to a lower ledge.

"Whoa!" Zack reached down and pulled her up in one motion. "What are you..." That's when he saw Cloud laying motionless on the ledge below.

Tifa pulled out of his grip. "What are _you_ doing? We have to help him!"

"Not without backup. In case you've forgotten, Barret isn't exactly equipped for mountain climbing."

Tifa looked ready to argue, but a look from Aerith kept anything she might have said inside. Taking that as consent, Zack swung down to the first set of handholds. Less than a minute later he stood near Cloud testing the ground, Tifa following close behind.

"It seems mostly stable. Just be careful around the edge."

Zack knelt down to check Cloud for injuries. There were a few, but none appeared life threatening. So he tried to pick Cloud up.

A flash of golden armor and hard blue eyes.

"Whoa!" Zack jumped back. Cloud's head fell the few inches Zack had managed to lift it.

"Zack? What happened?"

"I'm not sure." He held out a hand to keep Tifa from stepping closer to Cloud. "Just don't touch him for now."

*7*7*

He was falling head first. For a while he couldn't tell much more than that. Then colors started to appear. It looked like a tunnel at first, then his field of view opened into a vast underwater grotto illuminated by a giant moon. Tiny flecks of light drifted toward the surface. He sank deeper where the lights drew twisting green lines through the darkness.

_Lifestream._ He wondered if perhaps what looked like a moon was in fact Holy, but it didn't feel like it.

The tunnel effect returned. His eyes narrowed as he realized where he was being lead.

Sephiroth stood below him. A self-satisfied smirk twitched one corner of the would-be-god's mouth as he slid into a battle stance.

He felt Ultima's weight on his back and reach to draw his sword. Blue flames spread from the blade and up his arms until his entire body appeared encased in fire. He didn't bother to think about what he was doing, instead letting the new limit break guide his body. That Sephiroth didn't even try to block a single strick barely registered.

Every drop of hate and anger he'd ever felt went into that attack until Sephiroth staggered, shocked and barely able to stand. He stood waiting for Sephiroth to pull some trick. Instead, Sephiroth exploded into a thousand black-tainted pyreflies.

He sheathed his sword and let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. A tiny, pure pyrefly drifted by his face. Then another. He watched them circle and weave in and out of his body unaware of the single tainted strand that entered and never left. The swarm spun away behind him and he turned.

And saw the tallest, most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. She wore dazzling white and gold armor and held in one hand a two-pronged staff while the other held an enormous shield. A jeweled circlet peeked out from under golden bangs. A wind he didn't feel rippled her wide cloak and the long train of her hair.

He thought she had to be a valkyrie but wasn't sure he was ready to go with her.

She tilted her head as if not sure what to make of him herself. Then she suddenly looked up. Before he could follow her gaze everything went black.

*7*7*

Cloud gasped on awakening.

"He's back! Hey, Cloud, can you sit up?" Zack's face appeared for a moment before he apparently remembered what happened last time he had his head there.

"Hn." Cloud felt like the world was shaking, but he did manage to get up on his elbows. He saw Tifa standing next to Zack.

Then Zack grabbed him and Tifa and jumped. Cloud had a sickening view of the ledge they had been on falling into the darkness.

They almost didn't make it to the ledge above. At the last second Zack tossed Tifa the rest of the way and grabbed onto the cliff face with his now free left hand.

"Sorry 'bout that."

Cloud swallowed what might have been breakfast far too many hours ago. "No problem. I think I can make it from here."

He did, though Tifa helped pull him up once he reached the edge. Zack cocked an eyebrow.

"What? I just pulled two people partway up a cliff. Don't I get a little help?"

Aerith giggled. "Seems to me that shows you don't need help."

"Yeah, yeah." Zack made a show of rolling onto his back once he reached the top. "So... about the exit."

"There does not appear to be one."

They looked up over and saw Vincent on another ledge nearby. Kunsel and Nanaki sat behind him.

Barret, who'd been sitting well away from the edge until this point, jumped to his feet. "What'd ya mean by that? There's gotta be an exit!"

From somewhere above them Yuffie's voice down. "I still say we could just cast ultima on the wall and..."

"Ya #$&^ tryin' to get us all killed?"

"I'm trying to get us _not_ killed!"

"By bringin' the whole cave crashin' down on us!"

Zack waved off the growing argument between Yuffie and Cid. "Does anyone have any useful ideas?"

"Pray." Kunsel shrugged when he got more than one incredulous look. "It's better than waiting for Holy to hit us on its way out."

Aerith held Zack's hand as she knelt. "I'll see what I can do."

Cid and Yuffie had called a truce by this point. Or, rather, Yuffie had stalked off to sulk at the other end of the ledge, which was just as good as far as Cid was concerned. He nudged Cait with his foot. "Can ya move?"

"Och. Barely." The little robot twitched it's head. "I think there's a servo missin'."

"Well, if we get outta this, I'll have the mechanics on the Highwind take a look atcha." Cid tapped a cigarette out of the box he kept strapped to his goggles. "Damn. Last one. Sure hope that ain't an omen." He lit up and blew a trail of smoke up toward the ceiling. "Lady Luck don't fail me now."

As if on cue the cave shook. Rocks poured down from the ceiling and everyone scrambled for cover. With the dust still settling Cid looked up to see a larger than life pin-up girl winking at him from the side of the Highwind.

"Yahoo! That's my baby!"

Zack grinned down below. "Come on, let's get on-board before he decides to make out with it."

Kunsel didn't look quite as releaved as everyone else. "How are we going to get it to take off?"

With the angle it was tilted at, they'd have a hard time just getting on-board. A couple of the propeller towers that should have been visible weren't there. Probably scraped off sometime during the fall.

* * *

_And... I maybe could have gotten to the end but my head is still full of mucus. So next chapter will probably be the last chapter. It probably isn't good form to break in the middle of the last cutscene, but I just can't think any more today._


	131. End Game

**Chapter One-Hundred-Thirty - End Game**

Barret was dripping sweat and panting when he finally hauled himself over the edge of the weather deck. "If it turns out we gotta go back down there an' fight Sephiroth _again_ ya can count me out."

"No way, Sephiroth's dead." Yuffie looked around, noting the doubt start to appear on her friends' faces. "He is dead, right? We're alive, so he's gotta be dead."

Zack rubbed the back of his neck. "He was almost dead when I lost consciousness."

"He's dead." Cloud refused to meet any of the curious stares he received. "I saw him dissolve into the Lifestream."

"Guess that's $#%& that." Cid opened the hatch to complete chaos.

Deckhands and mechanics ran around in what seemed to be barely contained panic. One with an obvious head wound dripping down the side of his face stumbled toward the engine room until he noticed Cid and the others storming down the stairs. Then he shifted direction until he was within saluting distance.

"Captain! We've lost both stern propellers and most of the lift propellers forward of the weather deck."

Cid barely got through running through his stock of profanities when Stella swooped in.

"What's going on here? You! You are supposed to be in the infirmary! In fact, all of you should be in the infirmary! Move! Now!"

"This man's got a job to do!"

"He's got a concussion!"

Yuffie jumped up near the back of the group. "We've got materia!"

"That's nice, dear. I still insist that all of you march straight to the infirmary so I can make sure you aren't about to fall over dead."

Cloud stepped forward first. Eventually, everyone else followed his lead. Even Cid.

Zack fell in step next to Cloud. "Hey, sorry we couldn't find Ultima."

"I don't think I was supposed to keep it, anyway."

"Uh, if you say so."

They didn't have a chance for more conversation, or to reach the infirmary. A distant roar quickly became a deafening thunder as the airship bucked and tumbled. Zack caught Stella before she could fall to the deck. He heard metal scream behind him and turned to see Cloud, green faced and glassy eyed, with his hands embedded in the bulkhead to steady himself.

A little behind Cloud, Cid could be heard swearing off toward the control room.

"He escaped!"

Zack's attention snapped back to Stella. "Huh?"

She tried to pull herself along the still reeling hallway. "That idiot is going to get himself killed. You," she pointed at Zack, "come with me. I may need help dragging him back. The rest of you get to the infirmary. Aerith, there should be a bottle of tranquilizers in the cabinet next to the sink for Cloud and anyone else who needs it. Hopefully, nothings broken."

Zack shrugged and looked back at his team. "You heard the lady."

*7*7*

Most of the crew still in the control room were either unconscious or trying to pull their wounded shipmates away from anything that might move. Not an easy task when the deck wouldn't stay horizontal. Cid had to pull himself along the floor toward the flight wheel. He swore under his breath, trying to reach for a pull-lever marked 'Emergency.' He didn't know what it would do, but now seemed as good a time as any to find out.

Deep inside the engine room a previously unused set of gears ground into place. Hydraulic clamps along the outside hull burst open, releasing the remaining propellers. Jet ports folded out and roared to life.

"Yeeeh-haw! Someone get me the name of the engineer who made these modifications so I can shake his hand!" Cid wobbled for a moment as he stood up. He pulled the wheel hard to starboard out of the glaring white mass that had swept them up out of the crater. "Holy's been takin' it's #^$% time, can't let it beat us to Midgar now!"

Those still conscious cheered their captain on.

*7*7*

By the time they reached Midgar the rest of the team had been declared fit to stand and were doing so in the control room. Everyone except Yuffie, who had tried to chug an entire liter of tranquilizer while Stella's back was turned. She was currently flirting with a toilet.

They just barely made it ahead of Holy.

The spell spread out in a shield of liquid light between Meteor and Midgar. At first Meteor seemed to stop. Then, like a pebble tossed into a pond in slow motion, it pushed through. The light turned red and dark. Sand blew up in huge clouds around the walls of the city.

Barret slammed his fist onto the railing separating them from the main view-port. "Wait a damn minute! What's gonna happen to Midgar? We can't let this happen!"

"We've done everything we could." Kunsel tried to look stoic even though his face turned pale.

Nanaki padded forward. "It's too late for Holy. Trying to stop Meteor is only having the opposite effect." He shook his head. "Forget Midgar. We have to worry about the entire planet."

"Hey!" Zack stood tall with his fists at his waist. "We're not giving up yet. Right now we have to focus on what we can do, and that's getting as many people as possible out of Midgar."

Cait twitched in Aerith's arms. "I had everyone take shelter in the slums. There may still be some on the plate, though."

"That's a start, at least. Let's talk to Reeve and see if we can coordinate with ShinRa's emergency response crew. The people in the slums will have to be moved, probably to Kalm."

_"Consider it done."_ Reeve's voice crackled from Cait's speakers. _"I believe Reno and Rude are currently looking for the president, but Elena's with me and I'm sure she'd be able to persuade the search and rescue teams into taking some unconventional volunteers."_

They spent the rest of the time between landing and arriving in Midgar planning the evacuation.

*7*7*

Cooperation between AVALANCHE (Kunsel still insisted that they needed a new name, and everyone except Barret agreed) and ShinRa turned out to be extremely relative. Search And Rescue was mostly interested in helping ShinRa employees who hadn't resigned. They didn't want or plan to go near the slums, though they also weren't going to stop AVALANCHE from doing anything they wanted down there.

Vincent and Yuffie volunteered to stay above plate to keep an eye on things. Yuffie stated outright that she didn't trust ShinRa to make sure their own family members got to safety. While he didn't say as much, everyone guessed that Vincent had similar thoughts.

Stella set up triage near the Highwind, just outside the storm zone. Cid and Cait were aboard to manage communications, Cait couldn't do much else in his condition, and make sure they had a quick escape ready if needed.

Everyone else went to the slums. They started in Sector 6, but it turned out that after Corneo disappeared fighting had broken out over who got to run things. Between that and Meteor Sector 6 had emptied days ago. A little talking and arguing at the playground later they decided to split up. Aerith and Zack took Sector 5 because they were familiar with the people there. Tifa and Cloud took Sector 4, which left Barret, Nanaki, and Kunsel with Sector 3.

The streets of Sector 5 were eerily quiet. Aerith rubbed her arms. "I know I should be glad that so many people left, but it feels strange to find everything so empty."

"Yeah. I know what you mean. Let's head toward the church. Even if no one's there it'll be nice to see, right?"

Even before opening the door, Zack could hear several voices inside. As soon as he stepped inside a boy he almost didn't recognize broke from the knot of kids near the altar to run to him.

"Zack! You gotta save her! She's been down there an hour and we don't know what to do!"

"Hey, slow down... Cole?" Zack took a second to run his hand over Cole's head. The kid almost came up to his chin now. "Who's where?"

"Marie! She was playing with some of the little kids out back when the old rocket started to fall. The kids were able to get out in time but she's stuck under the rocket! We tried to dig her out but..."

"It's okay." Zack looked back at Aerith. "Mind looking after the kids while I take a look?"

Aerith smiled. "Not at all."

Zack nodded and gripped Cole's shoulder. "Don't worry."

So as not to make the other kids even more anxious, Zack kept his pace to a walk until he closed the door to what used to be the back room of the church. There was even less of it than the last time he was there. He jumped down next to the wreckage of an old rocket prototype. He could hear Marie whimpering somewhere underneath.

"Marie? Can you hear me?" He got down on his knees so he could look under the rocket. Not that he could see much other than a lot of dark.

"W-who's there?"

"Zack. I'm going to get you out. Can you move at all?"

"A little. My foot's stuck and there's not much room."

"I think I see you. Hang on. I'm going to try from the other side." Zack backed up a few steps so he had room to jump. As he cleared the rocket he flipped so he landed on his feet among the rotten boards and masonry on the other side. It took him a moment of arm flailing to make sure he wouldn't fall on his butt.

"Zack?"

"I'm here. Just hold still and let me know if anything moves where it isn't supposed to, okay?"

"O-okay."

Zack searched the bottom edge until he found a spot where he could get most of a shoulder underneath. With his feet sinking into sand and dry rot, he pushed up as hard as he could. The rusted derelict groaned in protest of every inch. Zack had to reposition his feet several times, but he refused to let go.

"It's slipping!"

Zack froze. "What's slipping? Can you see?"

"There's a pole or something loose in here. It fell a little and dropped a lot of dead crickets on me!"

"I'm going to start pushing again. Let me know if it starts moving."

This time he heard the unmistakable sound of metal on metal before Marie shouted.

Zack repositioned his feet again. "Where is the pole in relation to you?"

"Right over my head. Maybe more toward my neck."

"Great." He didn't know how long he could squat in one place with a couple tons of metal sitting on his shoulder. "Can you move out from under it?"

"Um..." He heard a lot of shuffling. "AH! OW! OW!"

"What! What happened?"

"My foot! I-I-I think it's bleeding!"

"Hold still! Move just your head and shoulders out from under the pole as much as possible. Put your hands over your head and neck. You got it?"

"Y-yeah."

"You in position?"

He heard her sniffle. "Yeah."

"Okay. I'm going start moving the rocket again. Hold _really_ _still_." Zack closed his eyes and prayed to whoever might be listening that he could save her. Then he put all his strength into one big push. Both the rocket and his body protested, loudly, but he kept it up until he could stand and roll the main mass of metal away from Marie.

"Wooo!" Zack collapsed next to the little girl, who was still curled up with her hands over her head. He could see a rusted piece of joint welding sticking out the side of one shoe. "That... could have been worse. Hey." He reached over and ruffled her hair. "This is probably going to hurt a bit, but I'm going to take you to a really nice lady who can fix that foot up."

She nodded but otherwise didn't move.

Zack took a couple more deep breaths before talking his limbs into moving again. Marie squeaked at being picked up, but otherwise held her pain in like a real trooper. She did try to meld with Zack's shirt when he started jumping up to the door, though.

Aerith instantly pulled Marie out of Zack's grip and started tending to her wounds, which extended beyond the piece of metal in her foot. "We should get all of these kids to Stella. At the very least they need a hot meal. Most of them were orphans."

"Were?" Zack cocked his head and grinned. "I take it you adopted them?"

"Hmm. For now, anyway. Do you mind?"

Zack pulled the nearest boy into a headlock. "Not at all! Just so long as they don't try lifting my wallet."

"They won't." Cole smirked. "I already warned them that you're a pathetic mark."

"Hey!"

*7*7*

"Is this... really necessary?" Moving something even as large as a fridge/freezer normally wouldn't be a problem, but Cloud was having trouble breathing with all the ammonia fumes. He didn't want to think about what would drive cats to use carpeting as a regular litter box.

Behind him the old woman fused with the few resident cats tame, or sick, enough to hold bare-handed. "Of course it's necessary. Some of my precious babies are in there."

Cloud nearly dropped the fridge. "Wait. What?"

"Well, I couldn't bury them. And I'm certainly not going to let them be crushed by some giant rock if there's any way around it."

"Dead cats." He felt the room spin for a moment. "You want me to save dead cats."

"You understand, don't you? They're my babies. My family. I can't leave my family behind."

He understood. He also wanted to get away from that mad house held together with hairballs and fleas.

*7*7*

Tifa barely got within five yards of the house when a badly mangled fridge flew through the doorway. Followed soon after by a rotund woman screaming obscenities. By the time Tifa ran the rest of the way there Cloud had stumbled out, completely ignoring the words and rocks being thrown at him.

"Cloud, what happened?"

He shook his head. "Not here. Probably should see Stella. Might have fleas. Or distemper."

"What?" A look back at the old woman, who was now crooning to the freezer compartment, told Tifa that she probably didn't want to know.

*7*7*

By the time the three search teams met up at the gate between Sector 3 and Sector 2 Cloud regretted leaving the crazy old woman behind. He tried to go back until Kunsel pointed out that it would take time that could be spent helping people who wanted saving.

Zack could tell that Cloud still felt guilty about it, so he pulled out his two-way radio. "How about I call Yuffie and have her and Vincent come down to deal with her? I bet Yuffie at least will appreciate the break from dealing with ShinRa."

Cloud nodded so Zack held down the call button. "Yuffie, Vincent, come in."

_"Vincent here."_

"Hey. We've got a stubborn case in Sector 4 that I want you and Yuffie to handle."

Silence for several moment. _"There is something I must attend to here first."_

"Sure. No sweat. I'll give you the coordinates."

The rest of the evacuation went relatively smoothly. Only the growing howl of the wind and groaning of the plates above served as grim reminders that they were running out of time. Night had fallen by the time they all returned to the Highwind with the last refugees.

Aerith looked up at Holy and Meteor still pushing against each other. "It's not enough."

Zack looked up from unpacking some supplies they found just in time to see Aerith run back toward Sector 5. "Hey! Where are you going?"

"To the church! There's something I have to try."

Zack suddenly scooped her up, running at full speed. "Then I'm going with you."

*7*7*

Stella pulled the thermometer out of Cloud's mouth. "Hmm... 101.3... A little high even for SOLDIER, but unless you start having other symptoms I wouldn't worry too much." She held up her hand before Cloud could open his mouth. "And feeling dizzy while exposed to that much ammonia does not count. I'm honestly surprised anyone could live in there. You also don't have to worry about fleas. Lice, maybe, but not fleas."

Cloud nodded, somewhat relieved. The feeling was short lived as Kunsel stuck his head in through the tent-flap.

"Have either of you seen Zack or Aerith?"

"Not since they brought an entire army of children through here, no."

"They were helping load supplies when I last saw them."

Kunsel stepped all the way in. "Same here. I tried calling them but they aren't answering their cells or their radios."

"They may want some privacy, then." Stella washed and put away her examination tools. "After all, if Holy can't stop Meteor there isn't much else to do."

Cloud cocked his head. "Something's moving." He left the tent followed by Kunsel.

Near the edge of the triage camp they saw Tifa waving them over.

"Guys! You have to see this!" She pointed to the northern horizon where a faint light shone.

Kunsel squinted. "That... looks like a mako flare."

Cloud pointed east. "There's another one."

Two more appeared much closer. Soon, ribbons of Lifestream twisted across the sky toward Midgar.

"It's so bea...aaah!"

The ground buckled under them. Cloud caught Tifa as she stumbled. Behind them people screamed.

A column of roaring Lifestream erupted from near the center of the camp. The wind tore apart the tents that had been spared direct exposure.

Cloud didn't know what to do, yet still found himself running to help. "Get everyone on board!" Somewhere to his right he heard children crying. He turned and ran.

Tifa helped a man with a broken leg hobble toward the service ramp. Kunsel started directing traffic, but then stared at the column of Lifestream.

"Kunsel?"

He shook his head. "We were in there. Just a couple minutes ago."

*7*7*

Morning dawned with no Meteor hanging over Midgar. Aerith and Zack all but danced on their way back to camp.

Or what was left of it. Broken crates, shattered glass, torn canvas, overturned rock, and bodies. So many bodies.

"What happened?" Aerith ran to the first body and gasped. Black sludge coated the man's face and dripped out of his mouth.

"Aerith?" Nanaki appeared from behind a recently exposed boulder. "Zack. Where have you been?"

Zack held Aerith to him and frowned at the accusatory tone. "We were at Aerith's Church finding a way to save the planet. What happened here?"

"The planet was saved. In the process, Lifestream broke through the ground killing many people. We are still looking for survivors. Cloud and Kunsel left to search for you."

"No!" Aerith shook in Zack's arms. "This isn't what I wanted! I didn't want anyone to die! Not like this. No. No. No."

"How many survivors have you found so far?"

Nanaki's ears drooped. "Maybe half of those we brought here. Tifa, Barret, Vincent, Cid, Yuffie, Cait Sith, Cloud, and Kunsel are alive."

Zack started rubbing circles along Aerith back, his face hard. "And Stella?"

Nanaki shook his head. "She was within the area flooded with Lifestream. No one survived."

Aerith's cries renewed. Zack looked up at the clear blue sky that had just moments before seemed so full of promise. "This isn't how I thought saving the world would be."

* * *

_The end! Not exactly. The end of this story. There will be a sequel, but I can't make any promises as to when it will start. Certainly hope this is satisfactory. The original game made the appearance of the Lifestream seem so peaceful and grand while the One The Way To A Smile novellas showed us a rather grim side effect. I wanted to combine the two images here._


End file.
